Entangled Worlds: A Legend of Zelda and Half-Life Crossover
by gabeluna27
Summary: One particularly calm night over the land of Hyrule during a meteor shower, a portal tunneling in from another universe forms up in the skies. When the young hero returns to visit his childhood friend, Saria, she herself gets captured from an entirely new threat originating from the portal which Link must follow them through, into a world they don't understand...
1. Undue Visitors

**Undue Visitors**

It's been many months since the young _Hero of Time_ saved the land of Termina from Majora's Mask. After leaving the realm behind, the hero clad in green continued his journey to look for his lost fairy friend. Returning to his childhood past just after sealing _Ganondorf_ in the original timeline, _Navi_ left the boy behind without a word. Left unsure and broken about her abrupt departure, he has since then set out to search for her. Navi was one of the few people he was closest to since the very beginning of his life changing journey for Hyrule's destiny. She was also, to his belief, the only other person who knows everything about his original quest in this timeline.

Since returning to the past after saving the world, the hero warned the young-again _Princess Zelda_ about Ganondorf's intentions and what will become of the future if nothing was done. At the same time, for the last relived several days of staying at Hyrule, the young hero embarked on redoing the goods deeds he had done before throughout the kingdom, befriending those he met before, and rebuilding his friendship with the princess from the ground up, until the time came for him to set out on a personal quest to find and reunite with his beloved fairy companion beyond the kingdom's outskirts. Subsequently, shortly after the boy left Hyrule behind, the Gerudo king's true motives were exposed and thus, was imprisoned.

These turn of events eventually lead the hero into stumbling upon the land of Termina after getting ambushed by a Skull Kid, possessed by _Majora's Mask_ at the time, ultimately leading up to a quest to save the realm from its inevitable destruction by the falling moon. Defeating the evil within the mask, the hero parted from Termina with a newly formed friendship bond with the now freed Skull Kid and his two fairy sibling companions to continue searching for Navi.

 **...**

One month…

Two months…

Three months…

Four months…

Five more months go by, for as long as he's been searching after saving Termina, the young hero still hasn't found any trace of Navi or her fate yet and will not stop until he does so, but not without after a short quick visit to the people he knew back home.

* * *

One day, _Link_ alongside his beloved foal, _Epona_ , set out to make a quick return to Hyrule to visit a friend of his, and eventually all the others he made. They have been traveling in a big circle, which Link figured out as they were coincidentally heading back to the direction of the expansive but familiar parts of the _Lost Woods_ they came from months ago. This person Link is willing to see first is not only the nearest and by far, the closest of all people he knew back home, but she is someone who Link hasn't seen since helping him get to Ganondorf in the original future. For as long as he's been at Hyrule after being sent back to his childhood, he hasn't visited his hometown at _Kokiri Forest_ , or even get to see his best friend who resides there. She was one of the seven future sages who helped him seal away Ganon and save the land from the evil the Gerudo king brought over.

In the original future, Link visited her not long after leaving the forest to set off on his journey. This time, its been well over nine months or so since they both last saw each other. But, since this friend of his is currently the nearest of all the people he knew from the land, this was his chance to make it up for both of them and keep his internal promise, and he might have an idea where to look first. Not in Kokiri Forest, but her secret place within the one and only labyrinth he knew of in the Lost Woods.

 **...**

It is now just before nightfall. A couple of days worth of traveling through the darkness under the trees of the Lost Woods, avoiding wolfos and cutting through some occasional deku babas along the way, Link, riding on top of Epona, had just arrived at the familiar sight of what's below in the large grassy pit before them. The maze-like area of the _Sacred Forest Meadow_. To their right was the stairway that lead to the entrance of the _Forest Temple_.

Link could've reached this place by playing a song he had learned in the future with the Ocarina of Time to warp himself here in just seconds. But his instincts wanted him to give his best friend a more proper reunion surprise if she were there, and he was not yet ready to show her what great powers he had learned in his travels.

He jumps off of Epona and stands still, using his pointed ears to listen. He listened carefully for the sound of music from an ocarina that belonged to his friend; and he hears it. Faint playing notes of his friend's song coming from the temple's entrance. His face lightens with a small smile. She is there right now.

 _Saria._

But there was something different about it. It wasn't as lively as before, but rather a bit slow with a hint of somberness to it.

Link climbs back up to his horse's back, and descends with Epona carefully sliding down a less steep enough slope on her hooves to the grassy tops of the maze walls. Following his friend's song, they eventually make their way to the end of the maze and stop just before the final ledge. Link jumps off from Epona and decides to go on by himself from there. He jumps down before the stairway entrance and ascends up the path with mixed excitement and anxiety. It's been a long time since he's ever seen his friend again, and he doesn't know how she will react to his return when she sees him.

Making way to the top of his destination, he makes it to the yard of the Forest Temple's entrance. Just beyond the large pedestal with the forest sage insignia was who Link wanted to see most, tonight. Sitting on a short stump and playing a clay-carved ocarina next to the stair ramp ruin was a little Kokiri girl. She was in all green from her tunic, darker colored turtleneck, hairband, belt, shorts, boots, and matching colorful and pretty hair with pointed curved bangs going under her elf ears. A pink glowing fairy fluttered above and circled her head.

Link lays onto his stomach, hiding behind the pedestal and stealthily crawls his way to the left, away from her. He peaks from his cover to observe his friend playing her song.

 **...**

As the song ended, _Saria_ lowers her ocarina to her lap and stares off at the darkening sky, sighing sadly. Her fairy, _Nera_ , flutters in front of her.

"Are you okay, Saria?" Nera spoke in her high voice.

Saria's head drops down, ears lowering in with sorrow. "I'm sorry, Nera. I already told you, it's about Link."

Nera leveled to the Kokiri's face. "Hey, as far as I know, he will come back any day. You know you said the forest spirits said he's still out there somewhere, and I'm sure he would want to visit you first when he returns."

"I know." Saria's voice began to break. "It's just... I miss him so much."

Tears built up in her eyes and began to stream down her face as she explained, small sobs escaped her tightening throat. She uses a sleeved arm to wipe away some of the tears dripping down. Nera hovers herself to the side of Saria's face, patting her with her tiny hands that formed from the ball of light that made up her body, in an attempt to comfort her.

Ever since Link left Kokiri Forest, Saria hasn't been much like herself. True, her other fellow Kokiri friends back home would try to cheer her up, and while she did try to be so from time to time, they don't last too long. Memories of her best friend whom she had raised since she found him in the forest next to the Great Deku Tree, would always come back to haunt her. Even staying away from the village for some lone time out here at her secret place with her fairy as her only company to play her favorite song on her ocarina, she can't seem to truly wash away the emotional memories of him leaving home, and she hated it.

 **...**

From his hiding spot, Link's ears folded back with sorrow, and something inside him ached; something he hasn't felt since being sent back to this time and Navi leaving him so suddenly. For as long as he's lived his life with her at Kokiri forest, he can't remember the last time he saw Saria cry in person. She was sad, so sad that he left her without saying or giving any proper "goodbye" or even returned to say "hi" in this future. Was this how she felt in the original time immediately after he left the forest but only returning to see and make her happy not long after, and later during his seven year absence when he was sealed within the Temple of Time while the land was plagued by Ganondorf's evil powers and forces? When Link was sent back to his childhood, he didn't want to return home without Navi by his side to avoid such questions from all the Kokiri, including Saria, after such a short departure from that appointed time. But was he too selfish for doing that? Link didn't want to think about that now. All of his thoughts were on the fact his childhood friend had been waiting for him since he left the forest in this timeline for too long.

She needed to see him again to let her know he's okay and that he had never forgotten about her. He sneaks around to his right, still in his prone form. Making his way to the other side of the pedestal, he stands back up from cover. Link slowly and quietly approaches the crying green-haired girl on tiptoes. Neither she or her fairy seem to take notice of his presence, so he continued. As he got closer without any of them knowing, he stretches out his left child hand and places it gently on Saria's free right hand that held her ocarina.

Saria made a tiny gasp, head bolting up from her other arm that blocked her now free teary eyes. Nera springs back in surprise and looks straight at the interpreter, pausing in mid air.

Her reddened but bright ocean blue eyes widened as she saw the familiar blonde haired boy standing before her. His own blue eyes looked deep into hers, with a hand reached out and touching her with warmth and reassurance. He still wore the same Kokiri outfit from his tunic to his floppy cone cap since he left home, and he had that tiny smile on his lips which immediately drove out her negative emotions. Her own mouth widened and curved into a smile after she gotten who exactly was looking and standing in front of her. Her heart was pumping so loud and fast it blocked the other noises in the woods from her now straight ears and she held her free hand to her heavily beating chest.

"By the goddess..." she whispered audibly with relief and joy. Her hand drops her ocarina to her lap which slides off her legs and onto the ground, and places her other hand to her beating heart. Without warning, she sprung from her spot at lightning speed, crying out his name and clutched herself onto him. "Link!"

Link spun around with Saria in his arms, surprised and nearly loosing his balance by her sheer power. Setting her onto her feet, they both stood there, embracing each other. Saria held her head on Link's shoulder while fresh tears of joy dripped onto his tunic. Link buried his face into her turtleneck, taking in her pleasant scent of deku flowers that always relaxed him whenever they hugged. They both held on for more than half a minute with tightened grips, making sure they would never be separated again. When they finally broke the hug, Saria looked up to him with glistened eyes.

"I was so worried for you." her voice was weakened. She blushed a little, looking away from Link for a brief moment, wiping her tear stain face with a sleeve before getting a good look at him again. Her voice went back to its lively state when she noticed something different about Link. "My my, I think you've grown taller!"

Saria placed a palm on top of Link's head and vertically moved it to her own. She can tell already he had grown a few inches since they last saw each other, as she was who had been measuring his height for as long as she raised him when he was still a baby. She couldn't help but giggle a little about it.

Link smiled and giggled along. He admits he does feel a little bigger, though most of those feelings were probably from the time he was an adult in the original future.

Saria took both of his hands into hers, crossing each other's fingers. Her petite child face brightens and beams a wide smile, giggling and feeling jumpy again. She felt herself coming back to life, now that Link has returned home. Taking this as an advantage, Link spun with her, making her yelp in surprise, still holding hands. The two children explode into laughter as they spun uncontrollably. When they slowed, beginning to feel dizzy, Link brought her into his arms, holding her close and they fell, Link first on his side to the grass. They laughed with joy as they stayed in their downed positions. A minute later of catching themselves after their little playtime, they both sat up.

As Nera flew above, spinning in a circle over themselves, it wasn't long before Saria realized something was missing from Link when she saw her fairy. "Hey, where's your fairy?" she asked.

His face dropped and he shrugs which she knew meant, ' _I don't know_.'

"Oh." Saria frowned.

Navi was a subject Link wanted to avoid for another time. So he gets back up, helping his friend to her feet, and pulls out his little brown pouch from the pocket of his tunic (a bag that can hold many things by shrinking them when put away, and back to normal size when pulled out) and reaches into it. Pulling his arm back out, the _Ocarina of Time_ immediately reverts to normal size the moment it was out of the bag.

"Wow! That's a pretty ocarina." Saria awed at the polished violet ocarina, decorated with the Triforce carving on the steel that ringed the mouthpiece. She had never seen such a sparkling instrument before. But where was the ocarina she gave him? "Where's the one I gave you?"

He reaches back into the pouch, and in no less than a second, reveals the clay-carved _Fairy Ocarina_ she had given him just as he was leaving the forest for his first journey. He kept it as a memento of home and of course, Saria. She was happy to know he had been carrying it with him and it told her that he had never forgotten about it or herself. It's no wonder why he came back to visit her here.

Link slips the Fairy Ocarina away, shrinking in size as it was brought back under the pouch's flap in his pocket. He positions the mouthpiece of the Ocarina of Time to his lips, closing his eyes in concentration, and plays the first six notes of " _Saria's Song_ " with perfect ease. It was a song she taught him how to play in the future that he has been playing during his travels beyond Hyrule. He repeats the melody again, this time, extending the song even further. When he finished, he lowers the ocarina and reopens his eyes.

Saria's own face lit up with shock and placed a hand over her chin, silent for several seconds before speaking. "Y-You know how to play my song?" she said in awe.

He nods. The silence between them made Link uneasy. Without warning, Saria started bouncing and giggling ecstatically, clapping her hands below her face. Link was taken by surprise from her sudden joyous response.

"How did you know?" she asked, voice filled with joy.

In his usual silence, he expresses himself with his face and shoulders in a way to say, ' _I just do._ ' Link wasn't a very talkative person as always. There were times he does speak, but very little, and times where he doesn't say anything at all. It was something Saria and most of the other Kokiri have learned to respect for as long as they knew him.

"Oh Link," she started again. "I'm so happy for you!"

Link smiled in contentment, relived that his friendship with Saria was still strong.

"I've always wanted to teach you this song since you left, in case you would come back, which I knew you would. It's a very special song that you can talk to the spirits of the forest with it, even to me through our fairies. That is... if you still had your fairy. I usually play it out here at my secret place that no one else knows about, but I knew you would find me here someday."

Link pretended to learn what she was explaining was something entirely new to him as he listened. Everything she had told him was something he already has learned in the original timeline. Though Zelda and the Royal Family were exceptions, Link _never_ wanted anyone to know he came from the future, especially those closest to him. He didn't want them to know he knew about the places he's already been to or what happens then, despite repeating the good deeds he had done before in his original childhood, and he didn't want to frighten or disappoint Saria if he shared this to her.

Saria turns and walks over to her stump and sits. She scoots to her left and pats a hand on the empty space beside her for Link to come over. He follows her gesture and sits on the space next to her. The children sat there for a moment with silence, admiring the view of the temple's front yard, and the peace and quiet of the night. Stars glittered in the moonless night sky, while fireflies flew over the yard, leaving trails of light behind them. The only sounds in the air was the calm summer wind and the chirps of several night bugs, frogs and birds.

"Link," Saria broke the silence, making Link turn to her, "before and right after you left the forest, I... I had a sensation that whenever I'd come here to play my ocarina, I'd feel as if this place would be very special for us in the future. Something greater than what it is right now."

Link's heart raced hard with anxiety to the point where it blocked the ambient noises of the night. He knew what she was talking about and what that would become of her in the future. He tries not to show any signs of his nervousness.

"But, that feeling I had just... disappeared all of a sudden when I came back here one day." She sounded both worried and confused, staring off into space. "It's as if something had told me that what I felt for so long was no longer important. It was on the same day when everything in the forest started to go back to normal. All the monsters who stalked the woods suddenly just left without a trace, and a new Deku Tree sprout grew before the Great Deku Tree's remains to grant us our protection once again. I tried asking him about what these feelings I've been having were about, but he refuses to share that knowledge as he told me it would potentially alter my life. I don't know what happened that day, but I still consider this place my favorite hangout to spend some time alone with my fairy. It's just... strange."

After Saria finished, Link felt relief more than he ever did in a long time cast over him. A tiny smile tried to form on his child lips that he forced back. Link knew and understood what she must've been talking about, because he knew what those old feelings were for her and what they meant. Saria was the " _Forest Sage_ " in the original future, and he knew how real it was when he experienced it himself when he came to rescue and awaken her at this very location within the temple that sat behind them. Now, it's as if the forest spirits have somehow in ways they can't explain tell her that this was not going to happen this time.

This also firmly tells him that Ganondorf has failed to take over and curse all of Hyrule as before, which he knew already, long before he even got here as there was not a single presence of Ganon's powerful black magic anywhere in the world, not even here in the forest for which he was very thankful for. Though he has yet to hear what happened to the Gerudo king and sorcerer, he knew that evil man is now out of the picture for good and that Saria no longer felt the importance of this place as before. Because of this, Link truly believes that she was not to be a sage in this future. All of this was thanks to his warnings to the Royal Family and after the princess entrusted him with the Ocarina of Time to take far away with him to prevent such disastrous consequences. He knew he could trust their word after taking the whole situation to a whole different level.

Link knew what becoming a sage meant and what the costs were, but if this is what the case will not be this time, he has never been better to know that Saria will still be around for what he hopes for the rest of his life to be like this at this secret place of her's where they can still hang out with each other. He also wonders if this sage absence is true for the rest of the six future sages, particularly the Princess of Hyrule for good reason. Link doesn't know what became of Saria and the others after helping him save Hyrule in the original timeline, but all he could do is wish them the best, without him there.

As the silence kicked in again, Link unstraps his hero's shield and the Kokiri Sword, now forged into a gilded sword, off from his back and sets them aside against the side of the stump. Then, he lifts the Ocarina of Time to his lips and begins playing Saria's Song in a slow, calm pace, swaying his body to a side to side motion. Saria watched and listened how well Link was able to play her favorite song. A minute later, Saria positions her fairy ocarina to her lips and plays the song along, together. It was a song that symbolizes their forevermore friendship, and they've played for what seemed like minutes on end.

 **...**

Nera fluttered lazily above their heads, listening to their song as it went along, until going to a sudden halt when she sees something in the sky.

A shot of bright light in the moonless sky bolted from right to left in lightning speed.

Then there was another that followed...

And then another...

Then another...

Nera turned around and called out to the two children. "Hey, guys! It's starting right now!" she exclaimed.

Saria stopped her performance at the sound of her fairy's voice shouting out loud and looked up to see both her, who was now glowing a green hue, and half a dozen shooting lights bolt past the starry sky above. She gasps and her eyes widened. She almost forgotten what tonight was, and she didn't want herself or Link to miss it. But he didn't seem to pay any attention of what's going on and continued playing her song.

"Link," she patted his shoulder to get his attention. "look up!"

Interrupted by Saria's touch, he turns to see her pointing up at the sky, throbbing excitedly at her spot. He looks up, and the boy's expression went to astonishment as he saw the activity above them.

Hundreds of thousands of shooting stars lit the night sky, illuminating the night with flickering dashing lights. Link had seen shooting stars before once in a while in the sky when it's dark, but never in his life had he seen so many at once. It's as if the all the stars in the night were on the move.

"It's so beautiful!" Saria commented. She looked at Link to share something to him. "It's a rare event that happens every 37 years, and I never thought I would get the opportunity to see this one with you, before you would leave."

Link looked at her with suspicion, her lightened face weighed down. There was something else Saria wanted to confess to her best friend. She couldn't keep whatever she has left to say a secret any longer.

"Link, I'm telling you this because..." there was a long pause of silence. "I've always known you were Hylian."

His face went to shock, jaw dropping open. She knew what he was all this time? Link was about to force out a question, but quickly stops himself. He didn't dare to make Saria any more uncomfortable with spoken words than what her expressions already told him how she felt.

Knowing what he was going to say, the ashamed feeling Saria continued. "It's something the Great Deku Tree told me when he summoned me to bring you in when you were little, next to his side. We both wanted to keep it a secret from everyone else, so you wouldn't feel like an outcast with the rest of my friends, until the time came for him to tell you about a ' _great destiny_ ' you had ahead of you. I don't know what exactly he told you before he died, but I knew that day would be when you would leave the forest, which I feared. Only the Deku Tree, Nera and myself knew what you were all this time. After the Deku Tree Sprout grew, he told me the forest spirits said you've already figured out what you really were before you left Hyrule."

Link just stared at her, unbelieving of what she was telling him. His best childhood friend, who had raised him since he was an infant, knew what he was all along, and she kept it a secret from him and the other Kokiri so that he would live happy with the rest of them until that very day that changed his life forever came. His elf-like ears drooped, and he felt the side of his eyes burning.

Saria took notice of his hurt expression. This had reminded her of the last time they saw each other on the day he left the forest. The same day when she had heard the Great Deku Tree had died and Mido spreading the rumors of Link being the one responsible, right after saying their farewells to each other. The same day she waited at the bridge, hoping it wasn't going to be that time. When it was, she gave him the Fairy Ocarina for him to remember her, and she remembered seeing the pain he tried to force back in his eyes, the way be backed away from her while still he tried to give a reassuring smile on his lips before taking off in a heartbeat. She could've sworn she saw see his face scrunch up with sadness the moment he turned away and could still see it even when viewing from behind. Although it was likely because of what's been happening back home that day, Saria feels she made him feel even more uncomfortable and broken, considering how he reacted after giving him the ocarina, not giving anymore strong affections but signs of forced back pain and depression, something she can detect from him very easily. Now she has done it again after telling the truth she kept to herself from him.

Her own ears lowered to the back of her head. "I'm sorry, Link."

She quickly turns away, horrified, unable to look at him any longer and squeezing her arms around her abdomen. The tears that had been forming up again in her eyes spilled out. What had she done? She had damaged their friendship, again, and she braced herself for the worst.

But instead, she feels an arm gently wrapping itself around the back of her shoulders and pulling her in towards Link. Her form was pressed against his, and her head rests under his chin. The feeling he gave off was warm, soft and soothing. Taken aback by his bold move, she looks up to face her friend again. Though he did have watered eyes, his face held a smile that told her only one thing, ' _I forgive you._ '

Saria smiled back. Even in the amidst of after sharing a most hurtful secret she kept from Link for so long, and after giving him the Fairy Ocarina which made him fragile enough to run with little hesitation, their friendship has never broke apart. She leans into Link's body, wrapping her arms around him and burring her face into his neck, while the hero helped pull her in further with both arms around her back. A sigh from Saria was all that was heard from their long embrace.

"Aww, how sweet!" Nera playfully interjected.

Still holding on to each other, Saria pulled away first to face her fairy. "Nera!" she retorted back, trying to hide her smile.

"What? I'm just trying to lighten the mood." the fairy teased.

The children giggled. It wasn't long before Saria decided to change the subject back to the shooting stars that still went on in the sky. After all, they still had all night long to see it together.

"Come on." she patted his left arm.

Saria lets go and slides from her stump, sitting herself on the ground, leaning her back against the aging wood, watching the celestial shower and tucking in her legs. Link followed and did the same. They sat and watched the shooting stars for several minutes with nothing to disturb them from their moment of peace.

"You know, Link?" Link turned to Saria, still watching the shootings stars with her head rested in cupped hands, elbows resting against her tucked legs. "It's been said by those outside of the forest that if someone with a good balanced heart makes a wish to the shooting stars, they are guaranteed to come true, however long it takes to become so." she looks over to Link. "I know you have a balanced heart. Do you have a wish?"

Link nodded. He does have a personal wish he wanted to fulfill, besides reuniting with Navi one day. But, it's a subject he wished to discuss with her hopefully by tomorrow when he shares a bit of his travels in Hyrule after they head back home. Making his wish to the shooting stars in his thoughts, he jerks his head in a way to ask what Saria's own wish was.

She looks back towards the sky with a dreamy expression, sighing in content. "Sometimes whenever I look at the night sky, I wonder if there's some other place out there. Not just the forest, but the whole world we live in." Turning back to Link, she clarifies something before she continued. "Ever since the Deku Tree Sprout grew several months back, he has given us Kokiri the ability to leave the forest without aging. Something the Great Deku Tree always wanted for us."

Saria could see his face lightening up. Link was glad the Deku Tree's successor had grown in place of the original to take care of the others while he was away.

"Because of this, I wish I could see what's beyond Hyrule. Maybe there is someone else out there willing enough to greet us, and wondering what it's like here." she pauses before asking one last question. "Do you think we'll meet them?"

Link only shrugged to say, ' _Maybe_ '. As long as if it isn't another life threatening incident or worse, it would probably would be nice. Saria was right about worlds far away from Hyrule, but Termina was something Link wanted to keep secret from everyone for the sake of its isolation.

Feeling the urge of tiredness creeping over, Saria lets out a little yawn, stretching her arms wide and lazily lowers her eyes. The sleepy Kokiri girl shifts closer to Link and leans against him, resting her head on his shoulder and shutting her eyes gently, while the young hero slides an arm around and pulls her closer and rests his own head on top of hers. It's been a long time since they last slept together at a secluded spot, and they were now making it up for his long absence. Her sweet forest scent made Link's eyes feel heavier and quickly made him drift to sleep. Tomorrow, he will share with her and the others at home little of his travels before moving on to visit everyone else in Hyrule and hopefully fulfill his wish he mentally made to the shooting stars about someone else he knew since meeting them in the original future.

Nera, stretching her orb of light form and making a tiny yawn herself, flew behind Saria's head and disappears behind it, settling herself to slumber. Her snoozing barely heard within the green colored hair.

* * *

The meteor shower continued for hours into the night. By this time, it was at its final minutes as the shooting stars became fewer and fewer. But the night remained the same as every other night over Hyrule.

The outdoors were peace and quiet with the chorus of nighttime bugs and animals in the calm evening air, while monsters became active at uninhabited areas, such as Hyrule Field. Lon Lon Ranch at the center of the field remained quiet with its raised horses brought indoors into the barn with the rest of the animals where they are protected for the night until their daily exercise to the farm's paddock by the next morning. The only noises heard outside to be reckoned with were the flocks of gauys that cawed through the rest of the night, as it always has been so.

To the north, the usual busy crowded Hyrule Castle Town remained calm and empty as the citizens had either left or went back to their houses in town for the night, while the streets were patrolled by Hyrulean guards and the townsfolk's dogs. Many of the shops were closed for the night and the drawbridge, the passage to the town across the Zora's River, has been raised to protect its civilians from the monsters that became active at this time.

The small community of Kakariko Village to the northeast, right next to Castle Town, was just as quiet (if not, quieter) and predominately empty, until the next morning when the construction of the village becoming a full fledged city shall continue. Elsewhere in Hyrule, the rock eating Gorons of Death Mountain, the amphibious fish-like Zoras of their domain, the child-like Kokiri of the forest, and the all-female nomadic Gerudo of the desert, all had their settlements active in their own respective ways for the whole night. Many of those who stayed up at this appointed time were fortunate enough to see the meteor shower, a rare sight that occurs every 37 years or so that cascades the night sky, in its final moments.

The night itself was as if nothing else significant was going to happen.

 **...**

There is a sudden faint quake that is felt throughout Hyrule Castle Town.

The town dogs began barking and the night guards stood their ground, prepping themselves with their spears and shields. The ground remained still for several moments, the dogs still barking aloud in the streets and houses.

Another quake shakes the marketing town, stronger this time, enough to be felt and heard from the marketing town, all the way to Hyrule Castle, Kakariko Village, Lon Lon Ranch, and Death Mountain.

Then there was a third...

Many of the residents rushed to the windows of their homes to open and take a peek, while others busted out their front doors. The guards marched through the streets and alleys of town and the next door village, coaxing everyone to remain in doors and announcing out loud for everyone to keep calm. The Gorons just outside their city on Death mountain unrolled themselves the moment they felt and heard the second tremor and frantically looked up the mountain. Some of the guards below turned their attention to the volcano the Gorons call home. The volcano, Death Mountain, has been active for the last few centuries, and earthquakes do occur from it in rare occasions. But these tremors everyone has been feeling were frequent than ever, and the clouds above the mountain's peak were normal looking, indicating that the mountain was at a peaceful state.

When the fourth quake happened, a bright flash of light, with no identifiable source, pulsed and illuminated the thin clouds above the kingdom. Everyone looked up, realizing these tremors weren't coming from Death Mountain, but the _sky_ itself.

There was another, quake, and another light flashed, only it was an orb of pure white light this time. It stays there, pulsing again with more bright flashes and an aura of cyan to light blue colored light circling the anomaly.

As the orb of light grew bigger, the ground continued shaking, the spiraling winds felt by those at Castle Town and the castle itself, picking up pieces of debris along with them. There was a loud rumbling noise that came in waves and slowly getting louder. Many Hylian residents stood out or peeked from their confined homes and residential areas to glimpse at the activity above while the guards of the towns continued to persuade the citizens to remain calm and to stay indoors. Elsewhere in Hyrule, individuals outside of the civilized areas took immediate notice of the sky anomaly's activity from as far north as Dampé from Kakariko Graveyard, to as far south as the Lake Scientist from his house and laboratory at Lake Hylia.

Several Gorons rolled out of the entrance of their city under Death Mountain in single file onto the mountain trail. Stopping at a halt at the cliff's edge, they joined the other Gorons outside to see the sky anomaly beyond the canyon where Kakariko Village is settled below. The Zoras of their domain rushed out to the Zora's Fountain, the source of all Hyrule's water and the lair of Lord Jabu-Jabu, in a panic that their gargantuan guardian deity may be in danger. Instead, they look towards the west to see the chaos of the sky anomaly beyond. To the northwest, the Gerudo people have been on high alert since the quakes started and had no problem spotting the formation of the lights in the skies. They were just as disturbed as all the other neighboring races of the land, but they were more prepared for anything as they watched the unexpected anomaly grow each second. The Kokiri, however, were totally unaware of the sky anomaly's formation in the distance from their tree hidden sanctuary, but they were frightened and shaken-up of what they've been feeling and hearing. They don't know what may be causing these disturbances and they hope their village is protected from what may be coming.

 **...**

Meanwhile, the animals at Lon Lon Ranch were at a state of unrest. The cows and horses, startled by the rumbling of the earth were causing a total ruckus, unable to be calmed down by the hard-working farmhand, who was still in his white nightshirt and cap, _Ingo_. The hotheaded man bursts out of the barn in a furry with a rake inhand, smashing through the farm house's doors, breaking the nob off, startling the residing cuccos, making them fly into the air and creating a shower of feathers. Ingo darts his eyes left to right, searching frantically for the farm's owner. Not seeing the owner anywhere, he charges up the stairway and swiftly opens the door to the room of the second floor: Malon's room.

Inside, _Malon_ , another one of Link's best friends, was at the window closest to her bedroom door. She was resting on her belly against the window sill with the shutters wide open and sticking half of her body outside. She had woken up by the disturbances of the sky anomaly's formation to the north, which she is able to see from her spot. She was distracted and frozen by the sight, not paying attention to the flocks of guays flying away southward or the enraged farm assistant breaking into the house.

The door right next to Malon jerks open, startling the young redhead. Ingo's face was burning red with anger and stress, huffing through gritting teeth. Looking over at the wooden table in the middle of the rather large room, sure enough, was _Talon_ , the farm's owner and father of Malon, snoozing about on one of the three chairs and still dressed in his daytime attire. A snot bubble inflated from his nose as the man in red and blue snored loudly.

"Why the bloody hell did you not wake your father!?" Ingo snapped at Malon, who back herself from him, shaken up.

The farmhand growled as he stomped over to the table side on bare feet across from Talon. He lifts his rake over the table and stomps the end of the handle hard on the clothed wood.

BANG!

"I'm up! I'm Up!" Talon jolts up, spazzing his arms up. After calming down and looking over across the table, the obese man saw Ingo staring at him with fire in his eyes. Oblivious of the quakes and the situation, he dumbly scratched the back of his head and asked, "Is it morning already?" confused by the darkness of outside.

Ingo facepalmed and shook his head side to side, annoyed, but not surprised. "Those sodding animals are out of control, I can't clam them down on my own!" he shouted.

Talon quickly stood up with worry. "What? Oh dear! On my way. I'm on my way, Ingo!" he ran past Ingo who blocked himself from the gust of air as Talon dashed out of the room, knocking one of the chairs in the process.

"As for you, girl," a more but not totally calm Ingo pointed at Malon, "get back to bed while your father and I take care of your animal friends." the grouchy man walked over to the open window, pushing the girl aside, and shuts the shutters close. "And stay away from the windows. There is something going on outside and let us do the work."

He slams the door, hard, in front of Malon and rushes back down the steps. Malon stood there in utter shock. She was hurt by Ingo's rude acts, but she was more concerned about the situation outside. She had never seen anything like what she just saw in the sky before in her life. What ever it was, it was scaring the animals in the barn and the cuccos in the house, and she can't do anything to help without getting into trouble. What is going on out there?

 **...**

Atop of her tower at the castle, young _Princess Zelda_ bursts the shutters open in a swift motion. In just her pink nightie with matching slippers and her blonde hair disarranged from the hours of sleep, Zelda stares in horror as she sees the anomaly ever growing larger, dense clouds forming around it, and the cyan colored glow becoming more intense in the sky. Entranced by the sight, she doesn't hear the bedroom door down the steps open and someone rushing in.

"Princess!" _Impa's_ voice called out to her. But the princess didn't respond.

Zelda's eyes were fixed at what was happening just above Hyrule Castle Town, mouth gaped, hands resting on the sill, feeling the air swirl around her with little pieces of debris flowing with it. When two strong arms wrapped themselves around her and pulled her back in, she immediately snaps out of it as she felt the familiar presence of her attendant and sworn protector and sinks herself further into her.

"Impa!" Zelda cried out to her nanny who held her tightly.

Both females watched the sky anomaly grow bigger and brighter every second. The chaos lasted for a few minutes until more activity lights up. There was now lightning of teal color sparking out of the light of the anomaly, followed by a loud low-pitched sound which seemed to silence everything. Suddenly, the quakes became stronger just as another extremely loud roaring sound comes to life and the bright white light turning brighter than earlier.

Impa curses under a whisper, knowing what might be coming next. The Sheikah woman stood up and quickly shuts the wooden shutters with a _bang_ and locks it with the latch. Bending back to Zelda's level, she commanded, "Keep your head down!" and scooped Zelda into her arms close to her torso, a hand placed on the back of the girl's head. The frightened little princess buries her face into Impa's body, wrapping her arms tightly around her back.

A sharp cracking sound splits through all the background noises, rays of light from the anomaly seeped through the closed, rattling window shudders and a massive shock wave shakes the entire castle. Accessories and furniture from the princess's room rattled audibly. Impa and Zelda kept their balance as they braced themselves against the force of the blast.

 **...**

The light from the anomaly shone brighter than ever, illuminating the dark night over Hyrule, blinding the viewing bystanders. The shock wave that is produced by it ravages across every corner of the land, felt by everyone. Those close enough to the anomaly braced themselves or nearly lost their balance by the blast. Few glass windows at the market town shattered into millions of pieces, the street dogs took cover under whatever they could find, and the guards shielded their faces from the intensity of the flash and the flying window shards.

After the shock wave passes, the bright light dims down and the tremors weakened. The white glowing orb was now replaced with something else nobody in Hyrule could explain. A circular image appears in the center where the orb once was, floating in mid air. Its sides moved in a very distorted manner. The air around it looked as if the view of the sky was being pulled back outward by the anomaly's force and accompanied by a series of low rumbling sounds.

It grew considerably in size at a fast pace. In just thirty seconds, the reflection grew to be larger than Castle Town itself. By the time it reached that size, the tremors stopped, the only noises that remained was the wind being generated by the anomaly and the thunder produced by the lighting that surrounded it.

* * *

Panic had settled in among the citizens of every race in Hyrule, all shaken up by the chaos. The mysterious anomaly remained calm and quiet after its rather extremely violent creation. The night sky was hardly visible, where the last of the shooting stars cannot be seen properly, hidden behind the layers of rotating clouds with lightning flashing around the anomaly.

The reflection or image it had was too hard for anyone to make out. The center of the anomaly's reflection was a large black colored structure of some sorts, illuminating a pillar of light in the middle of it. The area around it was hard to identify anything distinguishable, other than seemingly it was during the daylight hours, with the sun lowered as if any indication of the yellowish hue. Overall, the image the anomaly was showing was _too_ blurry and disoriented by waving streaks of light.

Nobody can make out what exactly it was. Many fear this is an act of black magic conjuring, while others perceive it as a granted wish to the shooting stars for uncertain malicious intentions. But those who knew better know the former can't be true, as the wishes made to be true to the celestial show behind the anomaly's clouds could only be from those with hearts of stable good. The Gerudo, in particular, feared this may be a sign or attempt of the return of Ganondorf himself. But few individuals knew this was impossible; the dark lord of their people is securely locked away at the Arbiter's Grounds where no escape was possible.

All citizens of Castle Town and Kakariko were confined in their homes, panic stricken. The guards outside kept sure none got out for their safety sake and never kept their eyes off the sky, nervous but ready for more probable inevitable concerns. While the Kokiri raced back into their tree huts when the shock wave was felt in the forest, the Gorons and Zoras remained outdoors out of fear to see what happens next; and the Gerudo held their ground to protect their settlement from what might be coming next.

 **...**

Cautiously, Impa reopens the bedroom tower window, and gazed up at the sky, seeing what the anomaly has become now. Her mouth gaped open. In place of the bright orb of light was the free floating image in a disoriented circle, filtered with unnatural colored lightning streaks within its feature and surrounded by swirling dense clouds that overcast where the clear night sky once was, directly above Castle Town.

 _What sorcery is this?_

Zelda steps beside the silver haired Sheikah woman to take a look for herself. But Impa kept her back from the window with her right arm, wordlessly bringing the princess behind her back. The princess, however, was still able to see the strange phenomenon in the sky from her spot, leaning over behind her attendant.

Impa carefully observes the anomaly by every inch, examining its aspects and nature for any potential danger. But it just remained there for over a minute with out anything else happening, and besides the thunder and low rumbling noises it was producing, was awfully quiet for such a massive occurrence. The air in the atmosphere was calm, still, and unsettling, giving an uneasy vibe which Impa could feel; her protectiveness for the princess becoming more excessive. She could tell the princess was feeling the same thing, as if any indication of her grip slowly tightening around her right leg. The young hero who traveled through time never mentioned anything like this before, so there is no possibility this could have anything to do with Ganondorf.

But the question remains: what is this phenomenon in the sky and why was it brought here? Impa thought what it could be, but she cannot jump to conclusions at this point without full confirmation.

To make things disturbing, there was not a single presence of any magical essence coming from the anomaly. Zelda herself can easily tell if the aura of a specific person, condition or event is good or evil. But this, for something enormously disruptive and supernatural, was empty; devoid of anything magic related at all.

Something isn't right. Both princess and Sheikah can feel it.

Before Impa could turn back to bring Zelda downstairs to her father, something catches her ears. A very faint low-pitched continuous buzzing noise can be heard coming from the anomaly itself. Squinting her eyes, Impa could see new movement within the imagery. Half a dozen undetermined shapes with what appears to be 'wings' start to grow in size and the buzzing sounds were getting louder, like their getting closer...

The moving shapes were too blurred to make out further, but as they got larger, there was a flash of white light which shines over the anomaly, a brief faint tune-like noise plays as it did. The buzzing sound was now clearer to the ear, yet still significantly far away, and a figure emerges out of the pulse.

An insect shaped entity hovers in the air, heading into the direction of the castle. It suddenly makes an uncharacteristic yet graceful twist and turn to Castle Town, using its front limbs that were tipped with a pair of pointed 'wings' and blue glowing lights at the base. The four rearmost 'legs' were also tipped with blue lights, the topmost legs being longer than the stubbier ones beneath them. It had four extra slender legs in the center of its body, carrying what could only be described as a black streamlined container of sorts.

More similar bug-like creatures, each carrying a container of similar design, followed the first's entrance to this world, all heading in different directions towards unspecified destinations. Soon enough, another different shaped being spawns out of the anomaly. Its whole body resembled a giant mosquito's head, completed with compound eyes and tiny pairs of limbs on its sides, a strange fan-like structure on its rear, a luminous blue glow on several areas of its pale underbelly, and an elongated 'snout' that made up most of the body, ending with a slender pointed tip. Unlike the other creatures, the sounds it was producing sounded like a propeller and even an occasional deep, pinging growl was heard. It headed straight south to Hyrule Field where the majority of the cargo carrying creatures flew.

Along with the strange creatures, a swarm of tiny dark specks emerge out of the anomaly in little pulses. Once they entered this world, two beams of light shine out from each of them like little flashlights, all heading to random locations, including the castle.

 **...**

The first _dropship_ swoops over Castle Town, rattling the buildings as it passes by. Approaching the open space of the Central Square, the free six crafted-in engine legs extended outward to a break in midair before retracting. The legs open up again, the front ones raising above its body level and the four behind it lowered; the three toe digits of the small lower thrusters and the panels on the larger ones extended forward.

Debris and dead leaves kick up into the air by the turbulence of the incoming dropship. Trees, the water of the square's fountain and flowerpots on the town windows blow along with the air disturbances. The dropship hovers between the fountain, the Shooting Gallery and the Bombchu Bowling Alley, facing southward. A continuous hooting sound emits from the creature as it gracefully descends, snapping off the arrow from the sign above the Shooting Gallery's entrance.

Hoo-Hoot! Hoo-hoot! Hoo-hoot! Hoo-hoot!

Its metallic container nearly touches the ground by a few inches off. Street guards took a few cautious steps toward the dropship, spears ready and shielding their faces from the gusts of air from its now easing out thrusters. They watched as a hatch from the front of the container falls forward, hitting the old stone with a clank.

A humanoid figure stands within the tightly spaced vessel. It runs and jumps out of the container. The figure looked like a person, dressed in a thick heavy looking suit that was white as snow, polished black knee high boots and gloves that held an all-metal strange shaped weapon, a red arm plate on the right humerus, and a helmet that matched his uniform's color that concealed his whole head. The person's true identity was cleverly hidden out of sight. The center of the man's helmet sported a single red glowing ocular light the guards presumed was how and where he could see through. An insignia showed on the man's left arm sleeve and on the chest crest to the left, both which represented an upward claw with a cracked Hylian-like skull in black and white colors (black and grey on the chest variant). The imagery on the arm also had foreign syllables on the base of the claw below the skull.

 **C17**

More uniformed figures appeared from the dropship's container. One by one, three differently uniformed soldiers leaped out and stood on either side of the white suited individual, all possessing the same weapon of choice as the former. Their attires were more dark grey with a faint bluish camo pattern all across the body, short laced boots, and a different styled helmet with two teal glowing lenses. Two soldiers had under arms that were a pale white, a small pouch on the back of their belts, and a dull yellow insignia circle on their upper right sleeves with two black triangles facing each other; while the other's under arms were bright yellow and had a thick large bag with an antenna and two rows of little blue lights moving downward. An odd metallic object was clutched in his arms and his signature weapon strapped to his right side which was shinier than the others.

After all four soldiers were deployed, the container's hatch raises up and shuts itself and the dropship's thrusters lift it high into the air before folding back, taking off back to the sky anomaly where it came.

 _"Sweeper Team Zero beginning perimeter inspection."_ the white clad soldier announced in Hylian, but with a noticeable different accent, similar to what some of the other races speak in, ending with a _bleep_. His words were distorted, rough and unrecognizable as a typical person's voice, probably by what he and the others wore to disguise their physical identities.

The backpack soldier fiddled with the metal item he held with his hands. In less than five seconds, the thing raised above their heads and took shape, the sound of electronic servos activate as it did. A mechanical abdomen with a turning wheel in its center uncurls out of its ball form. Its 'face' was a big orange glowing eye, surrounded by four tan metallic plates on all sides with red tainted at the bases. Its sides had twitching spikes that pointed backwards and underneath it was twisting wind-up gear. A beam of white light shoots out just above its head region from a device that caged its back.

The street guards watch everything as they eye on the soldiers and their steel hovering device. It didn't take long before it spots one of the guards standing next to the end of the shopping booth right against the Bombchu Bowling Alley. It makes a low tune and its eye shrinks in size, advancing to its target at an eerily smooth manner. Its flashlight shines directly at the guard.

Two more guards pop out on both sides of the other; one from the back alley to his left and the other to his right from the other side of the marketing square streets. They all held a defense stance as the drone neared the guard it first spotted.

 _"ATTENTION CITIZEN!"_ it spoke in an emotionless monotone speech, voice thick with that very same foreign accent as the soldiers. The guard steps back as it got real close to his face. _"HOLD STILL FOR SCAN."_ the drone ordered. The guard do as told, nervous of what it might do next, while the others only watched, eyeing its every movement. The drone hovered in place, servos running and making electronic hums and beeps.

Suddenly...

Click!

A sudden blinding flash flickers from its spotlight without warning. The guards, especially the one it scanned, yelped out and covered their faces as the light enters their visions. They all blinked the blindness out of their eyes to see the drone hover away to the back alley, ignoring the other two guards.

 _"No hostile contact report in, Sweeper Team Zero proceeding assignment, sweep and confirm."_ spoke the white soldier, gesturing one of his comrades to follow as he marches his way to the back alley behind the building to their right. _"Weapons down, avoid hostile contact by command."_ he spoke again. The backpack soldier stays behind with the other, monitoring with a tiny device in hand, pulled out from his utility belt.

The guards, collecting themselves from the flash, reluctantly allows the two soldiers access to the other part of town where their drone just went.

Not seeing any good or bad intentions from the invaders, the three guards and all the others in town are at a loss for what to actually do. They Hyrulian army is still at a slow recovering state for any another confrontation, even with another race they don't know anything about. The three who just had their close encounter split up from the marketing area to monitor the soldiers' actions as another dropship arrives to the square, this time at the other side of town beside the mask and the potion shops.

 **...**

Zelda and Impa watched from the tower as the creatures pour out of the anomaly, invading the night sky, setting down and raising back up to exit through. Who or what ever they were, they were invading all Hyrule as well, but they couldn't tell what they were doing from the tower. There is no sign of an attack or anything malicious, yet the invaders seem to be setting something in motion.

As Impa examines everything that is going on and thinks back on what has happened, it is just as she suspected. What had formed in the skies above this kingdom is a door; a doorway to another place of the unknown. An unknown location where these strange beings were coming from what is presumably their home beyond this phenomenon.

 _A portal_...

The girls were too focused on the activity beyond they do not notice something hovering above the window. When a buzzing noise is heard, they look up to see a green ocular drone, as big as a typical clay pot, with light beams emitted from its right side, hover to their face level. Zelda gasps at the sight of it and Impa brings her behind her back to hind from it.

Impa stares defiantly at the oddball drone taking a good look at it. Its body was made up of a green hued artificial shell that was decorated with unevenly placed details. The two spotlights were placed on its right side which was oversized to fit them, and three little green lights in between. Moving hair-like bristles were present beneath the vertically built spotlights, and a lone antenna bristle on its top left. While the body looked mechanical, the 'eye', which made up its center looked like it was made of fleshy material with fused glass in the middle of it, two little eyestalks on both sides and three extra on its leftmost side. Foreign signatures were written from the top and bottom of its structure. It hummed a noise that sounded like a mix between machinery and organic grumbling with electronic whirls as the eyestalks moved independently.

The green lights turned and flickered a pale grey, ringing out a tune, simultaneously backing up and the glass core of its organic 'eye' shrinking like a pupil. Before the Sheikah and the princess could react-

Bleep!

Its pair of spotlights sparked at once, blinding the two with an intense white flash. Zelda shrieked when the light cascades her vision, turning her head away. Impa, squinting her eyes enough just to see, reaches behind in a swift motion and pulls out her sword and slashes the blade at the drone.

Her sword strikes onto the drone's 'eye', shoving it aside as flails out of control, smoking and sparking from the damage output. It crashes onto a conical rooftop and explodes into a mess of scrap metal and synthesized organic tissue.

Blinking the blindness from her eyes, Impa closes the window and locks it shut before kneeling down to Zelda's level. "Are you okay?" she protectively asked.

"Yeah." the princess replied in a groaning voice, rubbing her eyes to rid of the bright flash spots that stained her vision.

She grabs one of Zelda's hands in hers. "Come on, you need to get to your father, now!"

Zelda and Impa dash down the stairs of the tower, holding hands. They've been spotted by the unknown entities from the portal of the unknown, and goddesses know what might be impending from the invaders. They must get to Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule, about the situation outside.

The little princess, still in fear, was at a loss about everything. Whatever was happening, these entities have no presence of magic, good or bad, not even an essence of humanity in them; nothing she could sense out of them or their massively conjured portal. This has definitely got nothing to do with Ganondorf or anything else she knew or what her young friend she cared for and thought of the most encountered in the future. But, she knew for fact this friend of hers was not here to help either. Seeing how courageous and compassionate he was since they first met at the courtyard, she had always hoped he would come back one day for her since the day he departed with the Ocarina of Time she entrusted him with. Something is telling her to not trust these newcomers, and without her hero to have her back as he did when they met, she can't imagine what potential danger Hyrule might be in right now.

 _Link, where are you?_

 **...**

Dropships landed in various locations in Hyrule, dropping off squads of three to six at Castle Town, Hyrule Field and Kakariko Village. The drones deployed by the backpack troops scouted ahead and flickered a flash at any unfortunate denizen who gets spotted, announcing the citizens to hold for a scan, while some retreated into their rooms in time and shutting their windows before them. But, not a single unit of the invaders attacked or hurt anybody, leaving everybody confused, but still on edge.

The _mosquito-head_ ship flew over Hyrule Field until it stopped over beside Lon Lon Ranch. It twirled its form side to side, grumbling ping-like noises, as if it were deciding where to go next. A low-pitched growl came from the creature as it turned west and headed straight for Gerudo Desert in alert, flying over the farm which wasn't seen by anyone there. The sound of its rear propeller and rotors trailed behind it.

In the first minutes of the invaders' arrival, dropships had yet to stop by at the desert, but the Gerudo themselves were already experiencing their close encounters with the invaders. Numerous green recon drones with their oddly placed light beam emitters have breached their territory, intruding their settlements as well as their fortress, snapping shots into their eyes. They spared no time in fighting back, striking out at the drones with their glaives and scimitars, destroying them to pieces, protecting their home.

When the Gerudo saw the big insectoid ship-creature flyover the cliffs of the valley, they ceased attacking, focusing on the bigger threat coming to their home. But instead of performing any sort of attack, the creature harmlessly hovered lower to the confines of the fortress walls. Sand kicks into the air by the creature's downwash from its propeller. Gerudo shielded their eyes from the blowing sand, backing up by the blasts of air. Its smaller pair of compound eyes behind its steel nozzle drop from a socket on a tiny eyestalk. The eyes swayed side to side as it scanned the surroundings, pinging small growls as it did, before finally lifting up and headed eastward, away from the shaken up Gerudo.

The Gorons had been seeing it all on the cliff sides of Death Mountain. Their first contact with the invaders were the green scanner drones, flying over to their faces and blinding them with flashes. Some Gorons rolled back to their city's entrance either out of fear or shock after receiving their flash shots.

The Zoras, meanwhile, have not been found yet, but just like almost everyone else, they've been watching everything from the Zora's Fountain, seeing the dozens of strange creatures arriving out of the portal, wave after wave. Many minutes pass without contact before the flying insectoid ship comes into view as it heads right for them, lowering just over the wooden fencing that cuts between Jabu-Jabu's lair and the waterfall. The Zoras felt their fins and the water beneath their legs blowing with the air, generating from the ship-creature.

As if realizing it was a threat, Jabu-Jabu rears his enlarged head from its resting position and inhales a deep breath. A stream of water shoots out of the whale-like deity, making a direct hit at the creature. It shrieks a mechanical roar as it was pushed back by the force. The creature recollected itself when it finished, lifting half of its armored exoskeleton covered body and back down with a thrust, its steel nozzle jogging at the motion.

However, the creature did not back away. It hovers over the fencing once more, a loud unexplainable noise is accompanied with a bright blue laser of light came from underneath the creature's pale underbelly. The laser beam gets more intense, the compound eyes on its sides contract inward, and the cylindrical structure that was creating the laser thrusts downward-

Blast!

An explosion of yellow energy destroys a section of fencing to shreds in a heartbeat, sending splinters of wood everywhere. Several Zoras flee back into the domain in terror, screaming and shouting. The remaining Zoras, including their king, kept ground to see the bug-ship creature turn and fly away.

That wasn't an attack, it was a warning. A demonstration of its power, should it prove necessary. What ever this was, the Zoras knew they shouldn't provoke or underestimate it further, despite being smaller than their guardian.

After the first wave of dropships finished their drop offs of troops, they all flew back to the portal in the sky, at which point, more cargo carrying creatures would emerge out. Some of the containers the creatures carried were three times the with compared to the others.

One of which, from the second wave, was heading straight for the forest...


	2. Direct Conformation (1-2)

**Direct Conformation (1/2)**

Saria's eyes lazily inch open when she feels faint shaking underneath her, but the comfort of her friend on her too much to bear. Link's presence was warm, gentle and secure, something she hasn't felt for a while. Entranced by the coziness, she ignores the quaking, assuming the source of the shaking was from thunder of an oncoming storm. They will get up and head back to the village if it started to rain, and she could care less about both of them getting soaked if they had to rush back when it did. She shuts her eyes to drift back to sleep and enjoy the last moments of their peace time together before they would have to head back to the village when the storm arrives.

But she was oblivious of the fact the shaking she felt was ongoing; much too long for rumbling thunder...

 **...**

Not long after, an intense shock wave ravages through the forest, followed by bright rays of light that shone from the west behind the thick canopy, enough to startle Saria awake and out of Link's grip. Nera pops out of the Kokiri's green hair who was just as shaken up as Saria, shining a teal color. The tremor noisily shook the trees, rattling them side to side and shaking off a multitude of leaves off the branches and rain down around the children. Animals stampeded to the opposite direction; birds fluttered in the air, rodents and bunnies jumped into the yard and climbed over the opposite wall or ran down the stone stairway, and deer galloped over it.

Then, as suddenly as the shock wave arrived, everything stops completely, but there was still a low rumble to the ground that was accompanied by a strange continuous and ominous noise she has never heard before. The only other sounds that could be heard were small neighing cries coming from down the stairway that lead back to the maze below, but the rest of forest was more eerily silent than normal.

Saria darts her head to check on Link. The boy was surprisingly still asleep against the stump, unaffected of her jerking out of his grip, or the shaking of the ground, or the ruckus of the forest, or the disturbing noise that came from somewhere beyond the forest. He simply just laid there, snoring in a leaned position, eyes heavily closed and face hanging above ground. His arm that wrapped around her now rested in a limp, while the other still held the violet polished ocarina of his. Link can be heavy sleeper, but this time he seemed a lot more exhausted than usual, as if something had drained all his energy away.

The rumbling noises come to an end. Saria and Nera turn back up, only to see the shooting stars were no more. Instead, it was completely overcast with darkened clouds and something was glowing among them, but hidden behind the dense tree groves.

"What's happening?" Nera spoke first.

But Saria did not respond and rushes to climb on top of the gossip stone to their very right corner of the yard and jumps up to latch onto a piece of low growing vegetation that held her weight. Using the vine she grabbed, she pulls herself up and over the ledge before going for the nearest tree and proceeds to climb it. As an experienced Kokiri, she is able to climb up trees like a pro, even more so than most of her friends.

"Saria, what are you doing?" Nera continued to question her, still not getting a response.

When she makes it to the top of the canopy, it was there Saria realized just how much the clouds covered the entire sky; thick and dark but showed no signs of any storms. It was calm and still; nerve-racking at most. Turning around, and the Kokiri's mouth dropped, letting out a small gasp. The sky at the north-west was lit up with some kind of strange giant light anomaly that made the night look like twilight.

"By the goddess..." she muttered, looking back at Nera, "What is happening to the sky?"

The bright light in the distance was surrounded by clouds that followed an abnormal pattern like those at Death Mountain. Its center had a large blackened shape neither the Kokiri nor her fairy could tell what it was, and some smaller ones that seemed to be moving...

There was a tiny flash of white light and one of the strange shapes, revealing to be bug-like in appearance, pops out of it. It was followed by several more, all emerging out of the anomaly and dropping down to different locations across the land within minutes. Saria squinted to try to make out the details of these strange beings coming out of the light anomaly.

"What are they?" Saria said nervously.

The figures, which were considerably huge in size as they got closer to Saria's viewing point, had blue glowing ends on the tips of some of their limbs and all seem to be carrying something big, black and rectangular in their smaller legs. A low pitched buzzing sound was emitted from the entities. One was particularly different in that it was more slender looking than the others, with lots of blue glowing features on its thorax, and sounded more like a propeller. It seem to be patrolling the areas where the more bulkier ones lowered at, but Saria and Nera couldn't see what was happening exactly as the thick treetops blocked their view.

After the first few cargo carrying entities lowered, they rose back into the air and headed back to the light anomaly and at the same time, more similar looking creatures with black objects under themselves appeared from it; some of which were twice as large. One of those larger cargo carrying creatures was coming straight for them...

Saria lowers down the tree to hide within the green leaves and Nera flutters behind her as the creature swoops by over them. The air gusts behind it, blowing against the treetops. She ducked her face down and her fairy fought against the turbulence with a tiny yelp. They look up to see the insectoid creature making a strange turn with its front legs that were tipped with pointed 'wings', steering itself to another direction they hopped it would not.

From a distance, the creature hovers pass the noticeable dulled color treetops of the Great Deku Tree's remains and lowers into a clearing of trees to the southwest before doing another uncharacteristic steer. Its front wings lift above itself and the rear back legs lowered, descending behind the canopy and making an odd hooting sound, until it disappears.

"It's headed right for the village." Nera spoke in Saria's ear with fear in her voice.

Saria nodded nervously, uncertain of what to do. Without further hesitation, she hastily climbs down her tree, jumping off once she was lower enough and leaps the level down to the temple's yard, running over to her stump. She picks up her ocarina that laid next to Link, who still slept in the same awkward pose as she awoke.

She hesitates again, wondering if she should wake Link or not. The yard _is_ protected by the forest spirits of the ruined temple now that the Deku Tree Sprout has taken root for his predecessor, and he still looked extremely tired than ever. Sighing, she bends onto a knee and helps the unconscious boy to sit up. He did not stir by Saria's touch, but moaned quietly in his sleep. She placed his limp hands on his lap, over the Ocarina of Time. She stands back up and, with her mind going haywire with the seriousness going on, turns and dashes out of the courtyard, down the stairway.

"Saria, wait up!" Nera shouted, following her frantically. "Are you sure you want to leave him like that?" Saria ignored her fairy's desperate questioning as she climbs up the ladder to the top of the maze's walls, ignoring the panicked foal at one side of the wall's edge.

Nera flew beside Saria's face, continuing to brag at her. "Shouldn't we wake him up? He's going to worry about you when he wakes."

Hoping over the labyrinth's gaps, Saria still did not answer. She leaps down and lands gracefully behind the maze's entrance. With a new pump of adrenaline rushing through her, she accelerates through the exit, almost leaving a startled Nera behind.

"Hey, wait!"

* * *

Few Kokiri villagers peaked out of their hollow tree huts when they heard the unfamiliar sound of running engines. Those who did spotted the incoming dropship coming from over the Lost Woods to the north, carrying its massive sized metal container in its middle legs. It passed over Mido's house, rattling it, and makes an unusual turn with its winged limbs, until it was facing the entire village. Its top chassis was of a green color and its underside was all white. Rather than having a definable face, its front was nothing but a permanently open, blackened 'mouth'. Its front legs lifted above its segmented spider-like body and the back legs, all tipped with crafted-in engines, lowered underneath. A deep hooting noise, sounding almost like an owl, was emitted from the creature as it slowly descended.

Hoo-hoot! Hoo-hoot! Hoo-hoot!

The Kokiri watched in horror as the dropship noisily lowers before the forest's exit, fitting itself between the village's carved walls and both Mido's hut and the hill where the Know-It-All Brothers' home was. Leaves and dust kick-up into the air, scattering in all directions by the turbulence of the creature's rear engines. The downwash from the dropship forces the nearby Kokiri residents of the two houses to shield their faces and hold on to their hats as it violently blew against them.

When the dropship stops just a foot over the ground, hovering in mid-air, its hooting noise continued endlessly, the front of its giant metallic container drops forward. An adult sized figure, clad in a white uniform and a red glowing eye in the center of his head, runs and hops out of the vessel. Following out were two more adults, both dressed in a similar blueish grey cameo uniform. One of them had a strange looking bag on his back with moving lights on it. All of the figures carried a sort of polished weapon in their hands, and the backpack individual had a large metal 'ball' strapped to his side.

Heavy stomping sounds and a monotonic woop followed after the three adult figures came out of the container. From behind the three men, who stepped aside from their transport's entrance, a tall three legged creature crawls right out, making a series of odd sounding woops and growls. It stood almost two feet taller than the soldiers on three muscular legs similar to a horse, each ending on tiny stubbed feet, armed with pairs of sharp claws that protrude backwards. The monster's body was rounded in shape, with a blue-green and very shinny exoskeleton encasing it and its legs, with several exposed areas that were pale white and fleshy. Two big vertically aligned cyan glowing eyes, each one encircled by a thick layer of muscle, were at the middle of its 'face'. A single grey antenna was on its rear left side, and on its underbelly were a pair of tinny whiskers and tucked in arms.

The container's hatch closes and the dropship raises back up into the air, its engine crafted legs rearranged themselves to give the creature lift and flying away from the forest, northwest. The backpack soldier detaches the ocular steel _thing_ from his belt and, after some fiddling, it comes to life and raises over the soldiers' heads. A beam of light shines atop of its head.

 _"Sweeper Team Fourteen confirming perimeter sweep conduct and report."_ the distorted voice of the white suite soldier spoke out in a foreign accent, his sentence ending with a _bleep_.

The tripodal monster slowly walked ahead of the two soldiers who followed; both the white-clad leader and one of the grey suited soldiers. Its loud stomping emitted with each of its steps. The monster pauses beside the slope that lead down to the uninhabited tree house of Link. Mechanical-like whistling and growling was produced by the odd ball creature, eyes moving independently at different directions at the hut carved stumps ahead. The whole place was seemingly deserted, eerily silent with no sign of any movement. Still, the soldiers and their "pet" stayed sharp in amidst of their surveillance procedure.

 _"Stay alert, possible local sector contact imbound."_ spoke the lead soldier behind the vocoder of his helmet, creeping beside the creature with his weapon in hand.

 _"Affirmative."_ the other acknowledged, following behind.

 **...**

The three Know-It-All Brothers hid outside, behind their house, away from the invaders. They were all terrified of what the gigantic flying monster has brought into the village. The adults had unrecognizable full body outfits that hid their identities, a flying shinny one-eyed "creature" with a light on top of it and making all kinds of freaky noises, and a monster not like anything they've seen before on three spider-legs, marching through the village with two of the adults by its side. They've retreated to the backside of the house as soon as the flying spider-like monster has finished deploying its army just down the hill from the house, knowing they would be searching above soon.

They saw the hovering, shinny "creature", as the brothers can best described it as, heading towards the house just down hill. It lowered in front of the sign post next to the doorless front entrance, but were unable to see its ocular eye shrinking as it made a tiny but audible mechanical squeak as it scans the house's sign.

The "creature", in its point of view, translates the sign's foreign syllables into English formatted words.

 _House of the Great Mido  
Boss of the Kokiri_

It hovers over at just before the doorway of Mido's house, shinning its spotlight into the now darkened interior. Mido had been at his house just earlier, but it seems as if the thing had not seen him yet, either he was hiding well or not even at his house.

Afterwards, the "steel creature" rises up the hill and the three Know-It-All Brothers immediately ducked behind one of the house's thick roots, faces covered with frightened expressions, their fairies fluttering beside them.

"What is that thing?" whispered _Rill_ , one of the brothers.

"And who are those guys?" _Dill_ , another brother beside Rill's right, replied.

"How should we know if we stay hidden like this?" the third brother, _Mill_ , inquired.

One by one, the three brothers peaked from their hiding spot; Rill in the middle, Mill beneath, and Dill above Rill. As they observed, the "creature" appeared to be made entirely of steel like a sword's blade. The overall built and characteristics it had were not like anything they've ever seen. The "creature" was keeping itself aloft without wings or any other kind of projectiles to make it stay so. It had a small but bright white light that shone only forward that didn't seem to be lit by anything significant, and its face was an orange cyclops glowing eye with four plates surrounding it that moved whenever the eye points certain direction. Being exclusively forest folks, the noises it was producing were unfamiliar to the Kokiri ears, a mixture of low and high-pitched squeaking, buzzing and humming.

It was scanning the perimeter of the wooden fenced area yards across from the brothers' house, starting with the sign that pointed towards the passage's entrance.

 _Forest Training Center_

The Know-It-All Brothers carefully and quietly moved further back behind their house as the steel creature gets closer as it just hovers around the Training Center. They make it all the way to the back, and waited for less than a minute to wait and see if the "steel creature", the best description they could give it, was still out there. Whispering to each other, Dill and Mill agreed to crawl to back to peak. The two volunteered brothers poked half of their heads back up beside the branch to see the creature, with its side visible to reveal moving spikes beside the plates and a wheel in the middle of its exposed exoskeleton, curiously observing the sign next to their house before looking right into it.

 _House of the Know-It-All Brothers_

Soon after, the back pack adult walking up the path with a device in his hands.

"Get back!" Mill whispered to Dill and used and arm to bring him back over as soon as they spotted the dark unformed adult with the glowing backpack appear. They kept their breaths hushed, backs pressed against the wood, and Rill quietly joining in. He puts a finger to his lips to shush them before looking up to take a look himself. The person seemed like he was observing what activity the steel creature was doing, or perhaps investigating their house from outside, Rill couldn't tell because the adult's whole face was covered with a helmet with blue glowing eyes. Lucky for them, he nor the "creature" seem to know where they were.

 _"Tracker reporting negative contact, back sector is clear."_ said the backpack soldier in that strange distorted voice, speaking in a very cold, clinical way. Though the adults seem to speak the traditional Hylian language, their speech didn't have that noticeable Hylian accent; it was much lighter than normal Hylian. But, for the three Kokiri brothers, they were slightly relieved they haven't been tracked yet.

 **...**

The lead soldier, his companion and their tripodal "pet" have been scouting about through the tiny village. They've been inspecting the perimeters of the uninhabited homes of both Saria and Link, peaking into Saria's hut, and the soldiers are now inspecting the north side where the local stream runs through.

 _"Sweeper Team Fourteen reports negative movement, grid five dash one six."_ the lead soldier said in a calculative manner ending in a _bleep_ , still showing no signs of any emotions within his voice.

While the grey soldier with the blue glowing eyes stopped next to the shallow stream's edge, observing the three rectangular stone platforms that crossed the shallow stream and the waterfall behind that fed it coming from a slit on the rock wall, the lead soldier crosses the narrow creek that splits the Kokiri Shop from the rest of the village. His high leather boots calmly splashed against the shallow water has he steps across.

Inside the small shopping hut, few Kokiri have taken refuge behind the wooden counter at the back end, all pilled together in the small space. One chubby cheek Kokiri boy, _Lardon_ , the local shopkeeper, peaks up behind the deck to check. He gasps quietly and drops down as soon as he saw the approaching one-red-eyed adult in the white uniform.

"They're coming!" Lardon whispered to the group. The other Kokiri muttered and whispered to each other in fear, scared for their lives as to what to do. Their fairies trying to coax them down or quietly arguing at one another, seemingly just as afraid as their minors are.

The lead soldier stops at the front entrance of the shop, looking first at the sign to the left. His cyclops eye translating the written words into English.

 _Kokiri Shop  
_ _We have original forest goods!_

Taking slow, cautionary steps, the lead soldier was just about to take a peak inside the hut. The Kokiri inside held their breaths as they heard the sound of boots stepping on the dry grass get closer.

A faint sob cuts through the eerily silence...

The two soldiers darted their heads towards the last house at the end of the village.

 _"Prep for contact report in."_ spoke the lead soldier.

 _"Copy that, Prowler is engaging at inspection."_ the grey camo pattern soldier referred to the tripodal monster that was still behind the tree carved houses.

 **...**

The noise came from the largest house at the east end of the village, home of the _Twins_. Two identical orange haired Kokiri girls, _Mya_ and _Cherrol_ , hid behind the large blue vase against the wall beside the open doorway. Mya held the teary eyed Cherrol in her arms, a hand pressed tightly against her mouth. Cherrol had almost cried out of fear about the strange adults and their monsters patrolling outside, only to realize they had gotten closer. Now, they don't realize yet they may have given themselves away.

Strange monotonic woops and heavy stomping were heard coming from behind the tree's walls, followed by a long, loud _shrilling_ cawing noise. The strange monster that came with the uniformed adults was just outside the house. Its stomping traveled from behind the house to the Twins' side, moving closer to the door-less front entrance.

Mya, still catching her breath through gritting teeth from fear and after speedily pacifying her twin sister, pokes her head over the vase to the other Kokiri girl with her blonde hair tied in low double buns, _Fado_ , who hid beside the the doorway's right side. Fado, with her back pressed against the tiny wall, gestures a shush with her finger before letting her other hand pick up something next to her.

The monster's stomping stopped at the front door, its horrible whistling and growls were heard right outside. The three Kokiri girls remained very quiet, Mya still restraing Cherrol's mouth from crying out loud with her hand that was wet of tears behind the vase. Both their fairies desperately trying to keep Cherrol calm through hushed whispers, even if both of them were just as frightened. Loud steps slowly approached the door and a dark shadow cloaks over the light of the night from the doorway. They felt the house vibrate when the hear its legs press against the wood of the door frame, dust shakes off over their heads. The monster is very close now. Mya peaks over the vase to take a quick look. She only catches a brief gimps of the monster standing halfway under the small doorway and its top eye looking away from their direction, ducking back down just when the eye twitches to its right.

Mya scooted against the vase along with her sister to peak around to Fado. The blonde Kokiri held up a deku stick in her hands. Mya voicelessly spoke to Fado with her lips, _"Don't"_ , shaking her head. But Fado, cringing her face, raised the deku stick beside her head, ready to smack the creature away, regardless.

"Fado," her fairy whispered into her ear, "I don't think this is a good idea". Fado did not respond to her fairy's objections. She watches as she saw its tiny whiskers and dark colored facial limbs to its sides poke around the corner and then the tips of its eyes...

A loud splash comes from the stream...

The monster makes a short caw and withdraws itself from the house, its loud foot steps followed it away.

Fado, taken by surprise, risks taking a look for herself where it went, to see it and the two adults looking into the direction of the stream.

 **...**

Saria had just hurtled a large stone into the water below the cliff, ducking behind the wooden railing. She had been watching the strangers and their terrifying monsters patrolling her village home. She peaks from her stall to see the invaders take the distraction she made to drive them and the three-legged monster away from the Twins' house.

Nera had already caught up with Saria, still out of breath from chasing her back home, now glowing a yellow hue. "Saria, what are you planning to do?" the fairy asked.

"I need to get to the Deku Sprout." She whispered, not looking at her fairy. She crawls back and stands to a crouch, tip toeing to the other side of the cliff where the fence railing didn't reach.

"We still don't know what we're dealing with yet, Saria. I'm telling you, we should get Link. He's the bravest of everyone we know." Nera continued to futilely persist Saria. To the green-hair Kokiri girl, surely the Deku Sprout must have some answers of what may be going on. Plus, if these beings really are bad and evil, which she fears, then why are they able to enter the forest when the power of a living Deku Tree is capable of keeping the bad at bay?

Saria has made it to the edge of the cliff, quietly lowering herself off, her hands gripping onto the ledge once she was dangling from it. She lets go and lands gracefully on her feet without making too much of a sound. She works her way around the shopping keep as carefully and quietly as possible, nearing herself to the passageway she must reach.

She looks over from her cover of one of the tree hut's roots. The adult in white with the red glowing eye was heading to the direction she hopped they wouldn't. The white clad person jumps over to the grassy platform in the middle of the creak's end, then over to the other side where the village's walls open to an archway to the Great Duku Tree's Meadow. The monster, which had seemingly lost interest in the Twins' house, treads through the steam instead, following the leader behind.

"Great." Nera sarcastically said. "Now what are we going to do?"

 **...**

The lead soldier cautiously treks through the narrow pathway to what the sign outside said,

 _Just ahead:  
Great Deku Tree's Meadow_

It was only a short walk when something ahead stops him in his path as he was about to make a left turn-

"Hey you!" a Kokiri boy dressed in a slightly withered uniform and a cone shaped cap, _Mido_ himself jumps in front of the soldier, holding a hand out to stop where he was. "Just where do you think you're going, Mister? Think you can just wander into our home without _our_ permission?" Mido tried to sound angry at the adult.

The soldier had aimed his weapon at the little boy the moment he popped out of the corner. White noise sounded from his comm. _"Residence full contact at local sector, grid one dash three."_ the lead soldier spoke out a random calculative note out of the blue ending with a _bleep_ , not directly at the boy though.

Mido took a step closer, fists positioned at his hips. "Go on, Mister. I don't have time with your _lecturing_ speeches. Get out of here!" he shouted at him.

The soldier did not back down at the slightest but took a slow step closer, towering over the grouchy brat and lowering his weapon. Mido kept his stance, trying not to show any cowardice.

 _"First warning: Displace."_ he gestured towards the general direction behind him at the boy.

Mido didn't move but stared back defiantly. "Not if you tell me what you and your friends are doing in our forest!"

 _"Move."_ the soldier continued to order and gesture him with his odd distorted voice, in that lightened accent.

Again, Mido just stares back. His face closing in at the helmet hidden face of the adult, scrunching in a mean manner and eyes narrowing at the one glowing eye at the center of his helmet, attempting to intimidate the man.

 _"Final warning:"_ the lead soldier reaches at his utility belt and, in a swift motion...

SPARK!

He pulls out a metallic baton which sparks out lightning from the tip. Mido jumped and stepped back with a start, eyes wide and held hands in front of him. His fairy sprang out from under his cap from his reaction.

 _"Move back right now."_ the soldier demanded, bringing the electrified baton closer to his face.

Mido put his hands up beside his head, starring back into the red glowing eye of the man's helmet. He could feel the static energy and heat the baton was emitting, trembling from the threat the adult was giving him.

"You better do what he says." his fairy hovered at his ear, calmly trying to get Mido out of the situation that could seriously hurt him.

Mido does as told after his fairy dives back into his cap, scooting to the direction the adult ordered him to move, eyes not leaving the man's face as he watched him move away from his path. The Kokiri boy stops when he was beside the soldier, signing lightly, thinking he was now safe, but his demeanor switches back to grouchy.

"Happy now?" he barked.

BUZZ!

Mido cried out in pain when the baton hits his face before he had time to react, sending him off his feet and hitting his body against the wall behind the soldier and an intense electrical shock to his head, blinding his vision. Stunned by the assault and unable to get up right away, he heard the stepping of the soldier's leathery boots, another pair of boots running by and the tripodal monster's stomping and hooting move pass by his incapacitated state.

He didn't know how long he was out until he felt two arms pull him to sit up. His vision clears when he reopens his eyes. Blinking and moaning groggily, he looked up to see Saria holding him by the shoulders with a very concerned look in her blue eyes and both their fairies at each side.

"Are you okay, Mido." Saria asked.

"Saria?" he groaned, questioning her back the moment he realized she was out here at a time like this. He rubs a hand on the left side of his face, temporarily numb and aching on other areas from the sudden shock and smack he had received. "Where have you been all night long? You said you would return by nightfall."

There was a flash of light sepia hue in their sudden vibrating visions with the corners blacked out and a weak echoing noise ringing in their ears which shot up in response...

Both Kokiri and fairies look up in the air in shock, darting their heads back and fourth. "What was that?" Saria said confusedly, taken by surprise by the 'vision' that appeared out of know where, and what everyone else seem to have equally experienced.

The vision happened again, and this time the sound was a more audible explosion, accompanied with a gurgling sound...

"There it is again." said Nera, still glowing a yellow color.

The two fairies and Saria continued looking frantically around for any source of these weird occurring 'visions'. Mido, on the other hand, was looking far beyond the other end of the village. He pats a hand on Saria's shoulder, grabbing her attention. Not looking back at her, he points to the direction of the other side of the village, westward.

Another giant airborne, but different looking, creature of sorts hovered just outside the village's outskirts, producing a low continuous sound, stopping behind the village's exit, turning sideways. Its body shape was rounded and white colored like an egg, but with a flattened bottom. Its back had two lower stiff wings or legs and its front tip had a tiny teal glowing 'eye'. It smoothly lowers behind the village's walls, disappearing into the bridged chasm that separates the main entrance to Kokiri Forest from the rest of the land...

Followed by another vision in which the noise became an eerily screech that echoed.

"You better hide somewhere." Saria inquired to the normally grouchy Kokiri boy before her, who had just gotten back up, still rubbing his head.

Mido grunted a little. "Huh? What do you mean? Where am I supposed to hide?"

"Anywhere." Without furthering the conversation, she takes off down the path in a cautious pace.

"Hey, where are you going, Sar? You do realize they've hurt me, right?" he quietly called to her, but the green haired girl did not respond or react to Mido's warnings.

Another vision plays in their eyes, accompanied by a clear high pitched squeal...

Deciding it was not worth it to convince his friend, remembering how stubborn she can _really_ be sometimes with him yet always knows what to do which he'll admit, Mido retreats back to the village. "Sheesh!"

 **...**

Saria makes a final turn through the passageway to see the Great Deku Tree's lifeless and grey remains in the small meadow up ahead. Below the dead carved-in face tree were the two soldiers that went through to the right side and the blue tripodal creature to the left. Creeping slowly as she could on tip toes, she saw they were all looking down at the small wooden face covered in tiny branches on the ground below the base of the Deku Tree's remains.

It was the _Deku Tree Sprout_ , looking side to side at the invaders with a worrisome expression on his face.

But Saria, too distracted by the invaders harmlessly observing the new forest guardian, doesn't watch where she steps...

SNAP!

Face lighting up with shock, Saria looks down to see she had step on a twig and has snapped in in half. She darts her head back toward the invaders when she heard a hooting sound from the monster. It had looked to its side with its two middle glowing eyes looking directly at her...

The monster steers around on its rear leg, pounding its front ones onto the ground, hunching its base body down and roaring loudly. Its antenna shook aggressively and a pair of limbs that matched its armor's color extended out from its face, uncurling two black claws response.

Simultaneously, the two adults turn around as well and holding their weapons up at the girl.

She was caught.

 _"Residence full contact in position at twenty five meters, bearing eighty two degrees."_ spoke out the leader in white.

Saria stood at her spot the moment she realized she gave herself away so easily. After the white uniformed man spoke, she takes a few slow steps backward, eyes darting side to side with the invaders all looking at her.

"Saria," she heard the Deku Sprout call her name, turning her attention to him in between the invaders. "run!"

The tripodal monster pounds its legs again, barking out loud screeches of aggression, antenna vibrating at the same instant, before charging in a gallop at her. Saria quickly turns around and makes break for it down the passageway, the monster's horrid barking following her tail. She makes a fast left turn, hearing the monster crash against the wall behind her, but she did not look back. She makes a sudden stop, feet streaking the grass as she did after she makes another turn, only to come face to face with the strange "steel creature" shinning its light at her, making a strange whirling sound when it spots her.

 _"CITIZEN, DO NOT MOVE."_ it commanded to her in a weird tone of speaking. Its cyclops eye shrunk and its around its face plates flapped. Saria was frozen in fear, unable to think what do next. She is trapped. With the dazed sounds of the monster behind her, still a good distance away from around the corner, and this strange floating "steel creature" with its light over her and telling her orders. _"SUBMIT TO BE SCANNED."_

Nera suddenly shoots pass her to get in front of the thing and hitting her form against its steel body with a bobbing sound, grabbing its attention and making it follow her away from Saria's face, flashing a beam of light with a _click_ which briefly stuns her.

 _"FAILURE TO SCAN, RETINAL IMPRINT TAKEN."_ it spoke the moment it lost its focus on the Kokiri girl.

"Go Saria!" Nera shouted, still recovering from the flash.

Taking this as her chance, she dashes past them both, out through the archway and running beside the village walls and jumping over the stream's end. She hides far behind the other end of the Twins' house, taking a moment to catch her breath and placing a hand at her hammering heart. She peaks from her spot to see the now pink glowing fairy fly deeper into the village with the "steel creature" following behind, but it wasn't exactly fast. Saria ducks back to her spot to take a few more deep breaths to calm down. Afterwards, she turns to peek again–

The tripodal monster growls right in front of her. Saria yelped the moment it scares her. In an instant, it jumps high up and lands in front of her, legs and clawed limbs spread out in its stance. Saria was trapped again, backed up against the house with nowhere to run. The massive sized monster, scarier than a wolfos or stalfos, takes slow strides at her, stopping when both of its legs were beside her. The frightened Kokiri girl whimpered as it leans its head to her, desperately trying to back up a little further from it, not taking her eyes off it.

She saw that its mouthless head was not only composed of a pair of black limbs with black claws and two large blue glowing eyes, each one independently moving on their own. The lower part of its face had a few extra pairs of fleshy eyes that matched its pale skin color, and below them were the pairs whiskers and another set of arms below it. Its growling sent chills down her back, and its central vertical eyes stared at her own, shrinking their sizes. Its lowermost arms retracted from its belly, revealing two scrawny limbs that looked like mantis arms, both ending with metal blades attached to their tips by cartilage. Each one was as sharp as a razor. One of them moves curiously to her head and gently strokes one of her curved bangs below her ears. She tilts her head away to lean from its touchy claws.

A tinkling orb of pink light flies across between the monster and Saria. One of its central most eyes darts to where it went. Then it shoots pass again, luring in the other eye. "Hey, over here!" Nera shouted at the tripodal monstrosity. It barks and hoots at the fast moving fairy luring it away from Saria further behind the houses, distracted by her fairy's taunting yells and movements.

Saria races from the other side of the Twins' house out into the open pathway. She sprints as fast as she could, not even slowing down when she notices the third uniformed adult with the backpack of glowing moving lights by the ramp to Link's tree house.

 _"Outbreak, outbreak, outbreak!"_ she heard the man shout out but kept running.

She was nearing the village's exit, her mind numbing out to remember what she had witnessed swoop by earlier, scarred for her own life. She was about to dash through the darkened log tunnel–

When a large rotund figure hastily emerges out of it first, letting out a high pitched screech and extending two long arms on its sides.

Saria stops in her tracks, but barely had enough time to scream or react when she felt a sudden blast of _piercing pain_ ravage through her skull and her vision lit up with a blinding light and the sides turning bloodshed red. The sound of an explosion and something gurgling accompanied the blast as suddenly as it happened. She clamps her hands against her head at the pain she cries at, closing her eyes to block off the short bright redness to no avail.

A second one shoots through her immediately following the initial, forcing Saria to step back and hunch her back further.

Then a third...

A fourth...

By the fourth blast, she drops to her knees and wraps her arms over her entire head as if her brain were about to split apart from inside. At each pulsing migraine, she grunts and whimpers over how much it hurts and her closed eyelids had no protection of the loud sounding bright visions.

A fifth...

A sixth...

She dropped head first as the pain worsened...

A final seventh...

By then, the rest of her body slumps to the grass on the seventh. Her rasped pants escaped her widened gaped mouth, her eyes were squeezed shut to futilely force back the intense pain, and she couldn't move at all.

Something cold and hard snatches her by the shoulder, making her grunt from both the pain of the force and the headache still in her skull. She felt herself being lifted high off the ground and the hand lets go. But instead of falling back down, she felt her whole body being levitated by a force that was pressing her by the shoulders. She was floating in mid air while being held onto by a source she couldn't identify. The solid hand returns again, to pin her left arm against her body and a second doing the same to her right arm.

Saria inches her blurred eyes and breaths out a stuttering gasp at what she saw when her eyes adjusted. The creature's body was oval shaped and wrapped in a dark green suit. Its bare white, smooth skinned face had no recognizable facial features but a single blue glowing double metallic "eye" built into the skin on its left hand side and a tiny mask on the face's center with strings that hung down and attached themselves to a piece of metallic plating on its belly. Two black elongated arms made of metal that protruded its back had their hands have a good grip on the helpless girl.

It literally looked like an oversized floating maggot with long skinny arms.

The creature's breathing was heard behind its weird mask and an aura of different moving streaks of dull colors surrounded them both. Its eye piece shines a blue beam of flickering light at her incapacitated body, moving down from her torso, to the tip of her toes, and back up to her head at which she squints. It purrs with noticeable amusement as soon as it was finished, slightly bringing her closer to itself.

Nera suddenly suddenly shows up again and dashes between them both, taunting at the creature that held her minor in its hands. The obese invader takes notice of the fairy's back and fourth diversion, but rather than going after her, a stream of blurry light and air reaches onto the fairy, making her yelp in shock. She was not moving anymore. Her wings were flapping forcefully, but she couldn't move in any direction. The creature lifts its head, Nera lifting up into the air at the same time. Then, with a ear piercing whistle, the creature jerks its head violently to the other side and Nera uncontrollably flinging up into the direction of the Lost Woods at high speed, screaming in her tiny voice until she was out of sight.

"Nera!" Saria cried in her rasped voice.

* * *

She felt herself being uncontrollably flung into sky, feeling the air blow against her. Her screaming and high speeds of the throw by the invisible force eventual came to an end when she plows into a pile of dead leaves.

Nera's wings sprout first from under the leaves, her groaning against the earth before springing up in the air, shaking to dust her wings and body. Recollecting herself from the pain of the impact, she realized she was in one of the many places in the maze of the Lost Woods and too far from Saria now who was still in trouble back home.

Nera paced back and fourth worryingly, trying to think of any ideas. The still pink glowing fairy had to think of something quick before something else happens to Saria. She pauses when she remembers someone who didn't take long to come in mind.

 _Link!_

Gasping in realization and her wings fluttering a tinkle, she darts away into one of the wooden tunnels of the pit she was in, wings flapping as hard and fast as she could, hoping to get to the young Hylian boy who was hopefully still at the Sacred Forest Meadow in time.

 **...**

 _For all those times he had been travelling and fighting; all those times of repelling evil countless times; all those times he had seen people get hurt physically, mentally and emotionally; all those times he had pushed himself too much at times in the original future; all those times he had been repeating the same three days over and over again in Termina before it got obliterated by the falling moon; and all those times he had been homesick during his travels beyond Hyrule, Link has never felt so comfortable in his sleep for however long his personal life changing experience went since his first day of becoming the Hero of Time._

 _All of those scenarios have taken their toll on him, literally. The comfort of Saria's presence on him with nothing else to worry about had given him the most relaxing state of peace had has never had for so long._ _Out cold by his exhaustion, mixed by how heavy of a sleeper he can be, Link doesn't pay any attention to the movements he could barely feel or the muffled out noises that had been occurring around him._

 _While also unable to clearly hear the tiny voice that was desperately calling out to him..._

 **...**

"Link!" Nera shouts to the little boy in green who was still fast asleep against the stump, and panting for how fast she had been flying over to the secret place. "Saria's in trouble and she needs your help! You've got to get up, now!"

But Link seemed to barely react to the fairy's loud cries. His head rolls down to one side and a soft exhale was all that came out from him.

Annoyed by this nonsense in front of her, Nara starts shaking and ringing her wings angrily, glowing into an intense crimson color and morphs into her humanoid form. She could almost feel the steam hiss out of her elf-like ears as her ruby red skinned body tensed. She flies to Link's face and, taking in a deep breath, she yanks his eyelids open with her humanoid arms and screams into the blueness of his eyeball.

"HEY, GET UP!"

Link jerks back with a startled scream and flailing his arms out at the angry red glowing fairy who interrupted his slumber. He lands hard on his back and his head pushing the base of his sword's sheath back, making it fall right onto his face with a _clank_. He groans before he lifts and shoves the gilded sword off of him. Link rose up with eyes still closed from the pain and his tiredness, and rubbed his hurting nose with the tip of his fingers. But he didn't have enough time to gather himself when Nera, who was back into her trademark pink glowing orb form, flew right in front of him.

"You've gotta hurry, Link! It's Saria. She's back home, but she's in great danger and I can't do anything to help. You have to save her!" she persisted.

It was then Link noticed through his dazed vision that Saria was no where to be seen. She wasn't here, Nera has told him she's back at the village but she's also in trouble. Link quietly gasped at the realization and quickly gets back up with a new found pump of adrenaline, waking up entirely from his sleepiness. The worst possible thing that can happen for him returning home after being away for so long is to have a very good friend his in serious trouble that could hurt them or worse. He has to get back home to Kokiri Forest and save his childhood friend from a danger her fairy hasn't specified.

He picks up and straps on the gilded sword and hero shield on his back and goes to pick up his ocarina and...

Realizes there was no ocarina anywhere.

Link gasps again in disbelief and his jaw hung open. The _Ocarina of Time_ , the Royal Family of Hyrule's most sacred instrument, is _gone_!

 _No, no, no, no..._

It couldn't be. It has to be still somewhere around here! Link darted his head left to right, behind his back, back to his front. Not a single violet and shinny piece of polished metal was seen anywhere in the Forest Temple's courtyard. He pulls out his item bag from his tunic's pocket and searched desperately into it, but his hand felt nothing that felt very much like it. His stomach twisted itself inside him and his beating heart elevated intensively in his chest. How could he have lost such a sacred instrument he promised to keep safe because of his own clumsiness?

 _No._

Saria must've taken it with her, couldn't she have? It _was_ with him in his very own hands when they slept together he remembered. But why would she take it without letting him know first? Saria never takes anything from anyone without asking; she is the sweetest person he ever knew back home. Or maybe it was another skull kid-

"What's taking you so long? Saria needs your help, like _now_!"

Link blinked back to reality when Nera pops and yells in front of him again, snapping him out of his thoughts. He grunts through clenched teeth, deciding to forget about the Ocarina of Time for now and head straight to the village to rescue his friend. However, the Ocarina of Time was not only what helped him save both worlds from the great evils he had faced, but something he had sworn to the Princess of Hyrule to protect with all his might. If it falls into the wrong hands, dear sweet goddess knows what could happen at that point.

But Link doesn't focus on those thoughts now. He runs down the stairway as fast as he can with Nera fluttering behind until he reached the exit to the maze. He climbs up the old wooden ladder to the top of one of the maze's walls to get to Epona, who was standing behind the pit between her and the hero.

As Link runs approaches her, however, Epona suddenly rears on her back legs, neighing in a panicked manner and tries to get away from him in the cramped area, moving to one side of the maze's walls they were both on. Link was startled, she only does this if there was danger nearby, but the forest was to be as peaceful as it was when they arrived. Something was not right, and he could feel it.

Link sprints around the other side of the pit and jumps onto Epona's back. The terrified foal rears and jump kicks her back legs to shake Link off. He held on tightly as to not get kicked off. Lucky for him, the small space of the wall's top and the rectangular pit in the center made it easy for Epona's movements to be restricted enough for Link to climb to her back. The struggle was rough but short, because as soon as he sits comfortably and pats his horse's shoulders, Epona became settled as suddenly as she freaked out, giving a calm and soft snort, much to his relief.

"I don't know what you're doing with that horse, but we've got to hurry back to Sar-"

Nera's yelling was cut off to a muffle when Link's hand snatches her form. Careful not to crush her, he stuffs her into his cap. Now he can get back to Kokiri Forest and rescue his best childhood friend.

"Ha!" Link slaps Epona's side which she reacts to. She speeds ahead, jumping over each gap of the labyrinth below until she jumps down from the last wall and out the maze's entrance. With another pat, Link and Epona rush out the exit to get back to the village, her gallops trailing behind them.

* * *

Saria couldn't move or struggle and her head was still recovering from the wave of intense migraines. She was mentally paralyzed. The grub-like creature had her whole body in a firm grasp in its metallic arms. Its eye piece stares back at her after somehow throwing her guardian fairy far out into the bush of the Lost Woods, bringing Saria closer to its face. She felt one of its hands raise up and places it on the back of her hair, feeling two of its three long fingers caress down which makes her close her eyes in response to the touch.

The creature lets go, but Saria did not fall. She was still under the influence of something keeping her aloft off the ground. With a squeaking whistle, she was violently spun around so her back was now facing it and its three digit hands clamped back to their positions again on her. She saw the three uniformed adults running over to them, chatting in their broken up voices she couldn't understand. The "steel creature" that Nera tried to distract away was also returning, hovering straight for them and making a mixture of bobbing and squeaking noises.

 _"HOLD STILL FOR SCAN."_ it ordered, shinning its light at her. The metal thing pauses in front of her as it shrunk its eyeball and remained completely still for a few seconds.

Click!

The "creature" flashes a bright light into the Kokiri's eyes, making her squeeze them shut. But it was far from finished. She then hears a series of gargling vocals from behind her. She couldn't turn her head to see, but she assumed the bigger creature that was holding her by the sides was speaking in a language she couldn't understand. The grub's voice sounded insectoid with a mix echoing chirps, gargling, and mumbles.

The "steel creature" makes an odd low toned noise as if was responding to the giant grub creature that was 'talking'. Three metal prongs sprung from its sides and under its face. It moved closer to her own until it was just inches away. Saria just stared helplessly into its tiny orange eye, unable to react or stir away from its bottom prong that was nearly toughing her body. It turns away, but just barely... and snatches its prongs at one of her curved bangs. She whimpered in her tightened throat as she heard the claw snapped next to her. Then she felt the side of her head barely jerk forward for a brief moment, causing her to choke a gasp.

Saria opens her now watering eyes to see that it had torn a follicle off from her head. The "creature" starts emitting little clicking sounds as its head moved side to side as if it were observing the single piece of green hair in its grasp.

 _"DNA STRAIN ANALYZED."_ it spoke seconds after, although Saria had no idea what that meant.

She felt the grub-like creature that had restrained her let go, still floating in mid-air, and herself spun around to face it again. The mask that covered the center of its face lifts up, revealing a small o-shaped mouth and something sticking out of it. A skinny pink colored tongue slithers out from the mouth. Its tip was swollen grey and pumping veins decorated the length.

Her breathing turned into broken panting and Saria's eyes widened as she saw the proboscis come out from the creature's mouth. It curves up like a snake before slithering out further. She eyed the massive mucus glistened organ as it stopped just inches away from her face. It slowly lowers to the girl's cheek and taps it tenderly with its tip twice. She made a sharp gasp and closed her eyes to fight back her tears of fear as she felt the coldness and sliminess of the tongue make contact with her sensitive skin and hearing the creature make inquisitive clicking noises as it did. She reopens her blurred eyes and whimpered again, a bit louder this time, to see the tongue rising up and closing in, about to touch her forehead this time.

She couldn't contain it any longer.

Saria releases a bloodcurdling scream with every ounce of air in her lungs, and the creature squeals suddenly and she felt herself shake hard along with it.

When she opens her tear stained eyes, she saw an _arrow_ plunged into the exposed side of its head. With the tongue slurping back into the mouth, one of its hands let go to snatch and yank the arrow off of it, yellow blood spurted and oozed out from the wound.

The sound of a horse's call and galloping hooves were heard up on the cliff side behind Mido's house where the entrance to the Lost Woods was. A caramel foal with something green on its back runs down the cliff's path right behind the house, leaps to the next level down and to the village's ground level. The small horse stops in the middle of the village's main pathway, revealing a blonde Hylian boy dressed in green and slipping away a bow, which shrinks in size, into his pocket's bag.

Epona rears up, cries out loud, and kicking her front legs out. As soon as she drops down, Link unsheathes his gold and silver blade sword along with his shield from his back. His brows lowered to a penetrative stare at his best friend's captor and its surrounding minions.

The moment Saria saw who came to her rescue, her eyes brightened up with a mixture of pure shock and relief. "Link!"

 **...**

All around, the Kokiri villagers, who have been watching this whole time since Saria's captor arrived, all gasp with disbelief when they saw the familiar shape of the boy whom they raised when he was brought in as an infant while the rest of the kingdom outside was in a state of unrest. Whom never had a fairy his whole life and barely ever spoke which some had made fun of him for. Whom left the village several months ago shortly after a fairy finally came to him, on the same unfortunate day the Great Deku Tree, their father, passed away. Some of who which blamed and betrayed the boy for his death, only to learn it wasn't him after the Deku Tree Sprout grew in place, and some of who were skeptical of the boy's possible return after his departure from the forest.

Many Kokiri mumbled and whispered their shock and surprise at the boy's sudden return.

"Link?"

"Is that Link?"

"He came back?"

"Link's back!"

"Oh my goodness, that's Link!"

Mido, the boy whom would constantly bully Link back in the blonde's childhood, and who hid within the shop where many of the others were, was more than surprised about his return.

"Impossible..." he muttered.

 _'Mr. No Fairy' is back?_

As much as he hated Link since the beginning, part of him was relieved he came back home okay. Of course, he was too stubborn and afraid to admit it.

 **...**

 _"Overwatch, sector is not sterile. Exogen incursion outbreak!"_ The lead white clad soldier announced at the moment Link and Epona held their ground, raising his unknown weapon at Link, the rest of the squad following the same. To Link, although speaking in a way to hide their actual voices and ending their speeches in _bleeps_ , they spoke perfect Hylian, but with that noticeable lightened accent he heard the Gorons, certain Gerudo and few Hyrule outsiders use when they speak the same language.

The giant maggot creature immediately responds to the soldiers, pointing its head to the side where the squad was, grumbling out a short series of low jabbered clicking sounds mixed with an acoustic squeal. It was apparently ordering the three soldiers to hold back in a language they could understand as they seemed to slightly lower their silver polished weapons Link couldn't make out, indicating a high power relation between it and the squad.

The hovering strange looking drone with the flashing spotlight on the top of its face, which Link was able to make out, moved gracefully beside the three soldiers, while emitting aggressive mechanical clicks and whirls.

Link, still on top of Epona with is sword and shield drawn out, laid his narrowed focus on the the oversized aloft grub that held the teary eyed Saria, who looked back with fear in its purest form unlike anything he had seen from herself before, in its grip while giving an occasional look with darting eyes to the more humanoid squad dressed in identity concealed uniforms, waiting for the next move. But, without a single warning sign, a startling vision of a central white flash and red colored sides filled his own, accompanied with the sounds of a strange explosion and gargling that sounded like the creature before him. Even worse, the vision came with a shock of _ravaging pain_ that shot through his head, making him turn away, clamp his head in with his occupied hands, and grunting out while squeezing shut his eyes. Epona seemed to be affected by the blast to as she suddenly jerked away with high pitched squeals, shaking her head in assumed pain.

Before Link could fully recover, his partially open eyes were able to see a wave of distorted air gush from the creature's jerking head towards him. Link was quickly plucked right off his horse's back and screamed as he was violently blown across through the air until he felt his back smash _hard_ against the elevated walkway's stone pillar in the middle of the village with a loud _thud_ , pain jolting down his spinal cord and audibly stunning Nera who still hid within his cap. The power of the impact forced his hands to inadvertently drop his sword and shield, but while he did hear Epona's hooves gallop further away into the village and Saria crying out his name, he didn't hear his items clatter to the ground. He couldn't feel himself fall over either...

Link struggled to move his hurting body, his arms, his head, and his legs, but he was completely pinned against the stone pillar, sprawled out about. He manages to pry his scrunched eyes with blurred vision, but just enough to realize he was being pressed tightly by an unseen force with nothing solid touching him at all, faint streaks of green dancing all around him. The gilded sword and hero's shield Link dropped remained suspended and rotated in mid-air.

He could see the creature's figure, with Saria's own figure still in its grasp, coming closer to him. He heard its echoing chirps, guttural growls and song-like vocals before he felt his whole body gently being levitated off the pillar. He continued to grunt as he struggled, but that was cut off when he felt an invisible force of air press at his throat which came with a high pitched whistle, reducing his grunts to choked noises.

"Link, no!" He heard Saria sob.

His vision blurred out further as pressure tightened around his windpipe by what he presumed were the dark powers of the creature that had just trapped them both. It felt like somebody had put two thumbs below his throat and started applying pressure into that general area, but without letting him suffocate too quickly. He still manages to get a glimpse of Saria being let go while still floating in mid-air and float off beside the creature. Its metallic arms rose up to snatch the Hylian boy by the upper arms, but Link continued to struggle and bent his forearms to get a loose grip at the ones that held him regardless of his fruitless attempts for escape. He was brought over to its faceless head, a blue ray of light from its eyepiece shown up and down his form. Once it was done, its mask lifts to bring out its swollen proboscis from its small mouth.

He watched as the glistened tongue slithered next to his face, its tip slowly curling upward but pointed directly at him, expecting something worse to happen as if this was going to be it.

That was when he heard a soft tune play and something tickling his left hand.

A light of gold shone over the back of his palm which makes Links eyes and the creature's head turn to it. The strangled Link barely made a gasp when he saw what was happening. Three stacked gold triangles formed onto the hand's skin, the rightmost one shinning the brightest.

The _Triforce of_ _Courage_ is resonating without his will.

The creature's hand that held his left arm moves to grip his hand with the triangles. Its proboscis retreated back into the mouth as it brought his hand closer to itself and gently stroke the area with its fingers. Purring with fascination, the creature shines its blue light at it. It was there the Triforce of Courage's glow intensifies, and following it was a small electronic explosion of sparks from the eyepiece.

SPARK!

The creature suddenly jerks away with a loud wail of pain, letting go of Link's hand and the pressure that griped his throat releases to which Link gasps for a gulp of air. The aura of dancing colors disappear, both Saria and his items all fell to the ground in that instant and the creature tosses Link aside. His body bounced and rolled away until he hits the side of Saria's house.

Lightheaded, laying flat on his stomach and inhaling huge deep breaths, Link's vision slowly returns to focus to see the giant floating grub holding onto its broken and steaming eye piece with its left arm as yellow blood leaked out its sealed mouth. The soldiers were frantically speaking with no sign of emotions, either aiming their weapons at Link or turning back to their master. Saria turned from her back to stand up, but she only made it to her hands and knees when the free hand of the creature pins her back down. She screamed as it lifted her again.

"Link!" she cried. But Link was still too dizzy to act fast.

The creature immediately darts pass the soldiers, carrying the helpless Kokiri girl in its arms once more, back to the exit of the forest. The soldiers themselves and their drone followed pursuit saying orders Link could make out.

 _"Ripcord, Ripcord!"_

 _"Overwatch, request Skyshield!"_

The intruders disappear behind the hillside pathway that blocked the view of the hollow tree exit.

"HELP ME!" Saria's desperate screams sounded too far from Link now.

Nera flutters out of his cap in a daze from what had been just happening, glowing a green hue and out to where the intruders were just at. "Saria!" she fearfully called out, only to have silence answer her.

Link struggled to get up, the Triforce of Courage, that had been glowing the whole time, vanishes and the tickling on his hand goes away as he stood to one leg. His whole body felt sore from his head, spine and rib cage from the impacts and his head felt like it was spinning from the lack of oxygen. He puts a hand to the area of the neck that ached where he had just been strangled by the creature's invisible dark powers.

Link couldn't believe it. He had just witnessed his best childhood friend get taken away by a group of new unknown enemies in his watch, and he couldn't do anything in time to save her because he was too debilitated. Not to mention, the Triforce of Courage was what saved him from probable death. But, how was that possible? The Triforce has _never_ done anything like that for him, not even since he received its piece in the original future.

 _This isn't happening..._

Enraged and panicked by his failure, he made a limped run with baring teeth at his pained bones to get his sword and shield off the dirt. He needs to after those guys if he is to still save her.

A low mumbling sound came from beyond the west side. He turns to that direction to see an all white egg shaped entity with a cyan glowing bottom tip and two limbs by the rear rise up behind behind the village's walls. It makes a smooth and graceful turn and, with a bright flash of cyan light behind it and a louder exhausting sound, it flies away to the north.

That must be how the giant grub creature and maybe the soldiers as well got here, Link figured, and their master must have Saria with them on that thing.

Without any second thoughts, he rushes to the exit. Saria being the only important thing fixed in his chaotic mind. He is unable to pay attention the fellow Kokiri villagers, who have watched the whole thing, yelling out to him, or the loud galloping legs that became closer behind him.

"Link, look out!"

"Behind you, Link!"

"Watch out!"

"It's coming!"

Something strikes Link's spine, making him crash before the exit. He turns his head to look and to see the frightening dark figured, tripodal monster with two massive eyes stack atop each other, growl an almost electronic noise at him, extending its leather claws from its sides. It has stroke him down with one of its slender legs.

In spite of his pain, the now fully conscious boy hastily turns to lay on his back, scooting away with his hands as much as he could while not loosing eye contact. But the monster's front legs stomped next to both of his sides so he couldn't escape. Its long bottom most limbs draw from its belly to reveal their razor sharp claws that tipped each one, raising them back and twitching their tips. Quickly knowing what was going to happen, Link rolls to one side just in time when the limbs launched forward and hearing them _skewer_ the grass next to him.

Reacting quick enough, his left hand that held his sword swings with his might and slices the clawed limbs clean off. The monster shrieks painfully as a grey fluid spewed from its now amputated arms. Link rolls around and jumps back to his feet when the monster attempted to slash at him with a pair of curved long claws from one of its legs.

 **...**

The _hunter_ steers by its back leg and faces the young armed swordsman in a spider-like stance, its sliced off limbs laid underneath it. It emits a low monotone growl with its black antenna from its backside vibrating aggressively and showing off its side most claws. Link, taking a few cautious feet away, stared back with lowered brows and held the gilded sword by his side, waiting for the monster before him to make the next move to come closer.

Squatting its legs further, seven rapid shots of light, accompanied with extremely fast bolting projectiles trailing tails of light shoot out from the hunter's pair of glowing eyes directly at Link.

DAT-DAT-DAT-DAT-DAT-DAT-DAT!

The first three shots hit the grass bellow Link's feet, two stick onto his hero's shield he had put up on time, and the last two hit the wall behind him. Link was almost caught off guard by the sudden attack, not expecting anything to actually _shoot out_ from the creature itself. He lowered his shield as soon it was over and he saw two big, double-bladed, steel flechettes, with glowing bases that matched the color of the hunter's eyes, stuck right on it and three more close to his feet and under him.

He barely had a second to react when a squeaking noise whirled from the still springing flechettes. One by one, in a quick session, the flechettes explode into powerful blue explosions, catching Link in the progress, leaving several burns on his boots and the bare skin of his legs, forehead and left arm. The ones on his shield forced his right arm to thrust back to hit his torso and the sides of the hero's shield hitting his neck as he flew backwards again. Link lands against his still sore back, legs kicking up upon impact, but wastes no time getting up while still wincing at his fresh and old pains, trying to process in his mind what had just happened; something that was totally unexpected to the young hero.

Its "eyes" are exploding flechette launchers!

The hunter growls angrily when it realizes its initial assault hadn't finished the boy. It preps for fire again, but Link avoids them this time by running and leaping with a spin to one side. The flechettes land and explode harmlessly against the stone cliff walls. Pounding its front legs apart into its aggressive stance, the hunter shrieks a scratchy bark before charging in a gallop at full speed directly at the hero. Link attempts to jump aside again, but it proves too fast when the creature rams its head against him before he could escape. He was sent to the air again, bounces against the back of his neck and lands flat on his belly into a low flower bush next to the waterfall, leaves were tossed into the air and sprinkle around him.

Link groans at the amounts of pain his body has already been receiving. He desperately struggles up with his arms and looks up at the hunter that was just running over to the bushes he landed in. Growling again, it stops several yards away from him, prepping to fire once more. He raises the hero's shield to cover his head, hearing the flechettes fire and feeling most of them impact it, while those that didn't hit the stone wall behind him. Thinking quickly again, he uses his sword to slice off the explosive blades from the shield and sending them back to the creature where they scattered beneath it.

Link got up and ran out of the bush just before the flechettes blew, catching the hunter in their explosions this time. It mumbled low a hurting noise as it takes a step back and tucking its head away from the blasts. With a loud yell, Link jumped with the gilded sword in both hands raised behind his head and plunges the blade onto the sides of its glowing eyes. The sound of flesh being sliced and the monotonic shrieks of pain filled the air as the sword dug into the creature's face. The hunter jerks its body violently side to side attempting to shake off Link who held on tight to the sword that was stuck good in its face. Eventually, the hunter kicks Link at his torso with the side of its leg along with the sword off of it.

Despite the pain against his ribs from the thrust, Link perfectly lands after a back flip as he was kicked off. They stood face-to-face again when he disturbingly saw that, although his blade had cut deep to penetrate the flesh of the monster's eyes to draw grey blood, it hardly seemed to do little effect to them as they twitched and shrink to focus when they stared back at him, and the monster's over all condition seemed hardly affected by the attack as if the inflicted injury no longer mattered. This thing's eyes, let alone its whole body, must be extremely durable.

The hunter hunches its body low to the ground, eyes still fixed on Link from under its carapace, and springs itself into the air in a long jump forward with an enraged screech. But the hero was able successfully to back flip away again just when it pounces really close to his spot and lashes its leg's talons out. Slipping away his sword and shield, Link pulls his bow and an arrow out of his pocket bag. Just when the creature snarled again, Link was given the right time to aim at one of its eyes and releases the arrow. The hunter shrieked as the arrow makes a direct hit on the center of its upper eye, stunning it as it shook in confusion. Link took the opportunity to run towards the creature and roll to his side to dodge the leg that tries to stomp him in place. Springing up again, Link slashed his sword at the side of the creature, making a gash on its right backside and a minor scratch on the dark blue shell that covered one of its smaller limbs. He realized the shell he stroked started secreting the same grey colored bodily fluid and it felt like tougher flesh when his sword hit that spot, meaning its dark blue carapace that covered much of its body is actually an array of thick layers of muscle. This creature's looks are remarkably deceiving, making it one of the _strangest_ monsters he's ever fought.

Twisting itself around, a strong leg raises and lashes at the boy who blocked the attack with his shield, briefly stunning Link by the extreme force against his protecting arm that pushed him backwards by sliding feet. The hunter fires another load of flechettes at Link, splintering off the arrow that had been lodged in its eye. Some of them hit his shield while one makes a direct hit on his right bare leg.

"AH!" Link yelped loudly as searing pain from two giant and pointed metal teeth dug into the flesh of his leg below the knee, dropping to his other knee and holding around the injured leg, releasing his sword from his grasp and holding back his tears that threatened to form in squeezed shut eyes.

Link grabs and yanks the huge flechette out without hesitation and throws it away just before it exploded. The ones on his shield exploded simultaneously as he shielded his body as best he could to protect himself from the blasts that were strongly felt thrust back his arm. Warm blood dripped to the inside of his boot, Link could hardly stand back up. The blades have pierced so deep, his hands were preoccupied squeezing away the pain of his wounds while still holding onto his shield.

Stomping legs strode side to side of Link. The hunter stood above him now, snarling in anger. One of its clawed feet readied to pin and impale him down. When it thrusts down, it misses when Link rolled out of the way, underneath it, and picks up the gilded sword. With a pained yell, he uses his fine leg to lift himself off the ground and swings the blade at its underbelly, and forces the monster to be forced out of the way with a low hurting woop.

As Link watched the hunter painfully and confusingly stride away from his seated position, electronic sparks started to emit from the creature's injuries, like it were a _machine_ of some sort. But what caught his eyes more was what was happening below it. Two streams of its pale grey blood spurted from two oval shaped orifices under its backside. Link was suddenly hit with a brilliant idea. He may have just found this creature's weak spot!

Determined to put an end to this fight right now, he pulls out a large glass bottle of red potion from his pocket bag, yanks out the cork and swiftly brings the lip of the bottle to his, chugging down the rather bitter tasting liquid, ignoring the strong taste that hit his mouth and throat, until it was empty. The potion began to take effect as the pain inflicted on his leg and the soreness from the impacts all over his body started to numb away, the burns on his skin from the flechette explosions disappear slowly, and his bleeding slows down. This was just enough to get him standing again.

The now mortally wounded hunter turns back at the now recovered but completely unarmed Link, sparking from its wounds and hunching its body. Both monster and boy stood face-to-face several yards from each other, moving in a circle fashion, never leaving eye contact, their legs making big gaps between each step they take. Link's brows narrowed at the hunter as he slowly steps around until he knows his back was almost facing the stone pillar of the elevated platform he was smashed against minutes ago. They both stop at the same time, waiting for one or the other to make the next move, especially Link.

 _Come on..._

The hunter's side claws extended and its antenna rattled aggressively as it made a low mumble. Link prepped himself with both hands reaching for his pocket bag. Squatting once more, the hunter unleashes its seven flechettes at Link. But he times them perfectly, and does a spinning jump sideways, pulling out the hero's bow, to let the steel blasting blades explode without harm. Knowing he was now standing behind the stone pillar, Link arms an arrow onto the bow, aiming carefully at the monster's face, but doesn't let go if it yet.

Pounding its legs side-to-side, the hunter screeches a series of scratchy barks, charging forward at the hero at high speeds.

 _Now!_

Link fires the arrow as he jumped to the side again, and it hits good at the same eye as the first did. The hunter hoots as the arrow made impact, loosing control of its movements and _smashes_ against the pillar. The hunter was now in a daze, bleeping and wooping in confusion, wobbling its legs as it walked. This was the chance Link was waiting for.

Unsheathing the gilded sword, taking it in both hands, and running over to the back end of creature, Link yells a long battle cry and shoves his arms up to _plunge_ the sword into one of its orifices with all his might with a sickening squelch.

The hunter shrieks a long, continuous, painful squeal as the massive sword dug deep into it, moving in radical directions as Link hanged on, dangling along with the sword inside of it. Its grey blood splattered all over on his face, but he continued to hold on for as long as he could. It was a short struggle as the sword slid out of the hunter, and Link landed onto his stomach, drenched in its fluids. He watches as the profusely bleeding hunter struggling away from the hero, a tendril piece dangled out from its orifice. With a mournful wail to end its long, horrid noises, its legs trembled and eventually gave way. Its glowing eyes dimmed out instantly and the sparking from its wounds stop completely as it collapses to the ground, limbs all sprawled out around it.

Link stood up, wiping his face and clothes and shook his arms to remove the excessive grey blood that soaked him. To make sure that the beast was dead, Link cautiously walked over with his sword in hand. He puts it under one of its legs and uses the flat side of the blade to lift it up. There was no reaction. He removes the sword and the heavy leg drops limp.

He was relieved. The creature is dead, at last.

He sheaths the gilded sword away before bringing his hands to his knees, taking in slow deep breaths of exhaustion. All around him, he could hear the cheerful child voices and laughs of the Kokiri come closer.

"Link, you did it!"

"You saved us!"

"You came back, Link!"

"Link, you're back home!"

He turned to see all of his childhood neighbors and friends running over with relieved and joyful faces. Even Mido, his childhood bully, rushed along with the crowd, but with a seemingly surprised looking face, which was expected from him. This was something they have never done for Link before during his returns in the original future, and something he wished they would've done when he came back as an adult then. Link missed all of them so much, and he knows they did to, as they congregated around him. Two Kokiri from his sides helped him stand up straight while everyone else started stating their relief he was back, congratulating him, apologizing to him, and asking questions all together.

"That was awesome!"

"You slayed that big meanie monster!"

"We thought you had died after you left!"

"We missed you, Link!"

"We're so sorry about accusing you for the Deku Tree's death."

"Are you okay?"

As happy as he was to be reunited with his fellow Kokiri neighbors, Link was extremely uncomfortable with all the ruckus. He stood there with an uncomfortable expression as he was bombarded with countless questions and statements circling all around him, even excitedly or worryingly grasping onto his arms and even hugging him. Link had a blush of embarrassment on his cheeks, feeling them warm by his shyness of the reunion. He felt two Kokiri touch his injured leg, making him gasp and to see the Twins, Cherrol and Mya, tending to his sealing puncture wounds.

"You're hurt, Link. Don't worry, we will help you." Cherrol assures him as she tries wiping the drying red blood off the area with a cloth before applying some crushed berries on the area, stinging a little. Mya then wrapped a gauze over the puncture wounds and around his leg when her sister was finished. They didn't have to do this, since the red potion can do much of the healing by itself in time, but he was grateful for their help.

However, the questions everyone was simultaneously asking him made his comfort zone no better, as some of them were about the absence of Navi, something he hoped to avoid for another time than now, while others were also regarding Saria, the most beloved Kokiri and best friend of his of the village which he failed to save from those monsters who abducted her.

"What happened with you?"

"Where have you been all this time?"

"What did you see out there?

"Hey, what happened to your fairy?"

"Where's you're fairy, Link?"

"Link, are you going to do about Saria?"

"Saria's in trouble, Link! What are you going to do about it?"

"LINK!" a particularly tiny but loud voice calls over the other voices of the Kokiri, making everyone silent and turn around to see a green glowing fairy rushing over to Link. It was Nera, catching her breath before speaking to Link who waited. "It's the Deku Tree Sprout. He wants to speak to you."

Link's face lit in surprise and the rest of the Kokiri made small gasps themselves. The Deku Tree Sprout, the successor of the original Deku Tree who died on the day he left the forest, wanted to talk to him. With out further hesitation, he nods and makes his way out of the crowd, trying to push his way out in a haste, making them yelp in shock, and even pushing Mido aside.

"Hey, watch it!" he shouted.

But Link kept running with Nera by his side, unsure of the entire situation that's been going on lately. The forest is supposed to be protected from evil from entering it because of the Deku Tree's power to keep them away. But he knew the Deku Tree Sprout needed to see him first, so he must hear what he has to say first and ensure the sprout's condition isn't grave like the former before leaving again to peruse his best friend's captors.

 **...**

Link makes it to the Great Deku Tree's Meadow. To him, this was like déjà vu. He remembers when he was called here by the Great Deku Tree, who's grey and lifeless remains still sit where he once stood in life, before passing away after telling him to begin his great journey. Now, he was being called by the Deku Tree sprout who sat just below his predecessor. He walks over to the sprout who seemed grateful to see and greet him for the first time, in this new future.

"Ah, young Link." spoke the Deku Tree Sprout with a smile on his round wooden face, "The chosen hero by the gods who's destiny to protect Hyrule from the great evil sorcerer of the desert has been fulfilled, who's words of wisdom of a foreseeable future brought the Royal Family of Hyrule and the kingdom to salvation, wielder of the Triforce of Courage, and traveler of the lands beyond. I am the _Deku Tree Sprout_ , and I have heard much about you."

Link nods lightly with a tiny smile, playing along as if this were his first time meeting the sprout. This wasn't the _first_ time Link had met him, as he was who helped the sprout flourish after clearing the forest of Ganondorf's curse in the original future. But, unlike before, the Deku Tree Sprout seems to know that Link had already discovered the secrets of who he really is, so he wouldn't have to hear what was already told to him. He is even more happy to hear in word that Ganon has been prevented from causing more destruction as he did before.

The Deku Tree Sprout's smile lowered to a more serious expression. "Unfortunately, as you might've noticed, despite your success of preventing Ganondorf from taking over, Hyrule is in a vulnerable state for potential darkness once more."

One of Link's worst fears was turning out to be true: Hyrule is in trouble again. But how? When Link returned, there was not a speck of evil presence in the air. Was this new danger just happening now when he was asleep? Were these monsters that have invaded the village from this new evil the sprout indirectly spoke of? Link had to listen to what else the Deku Tree Sprout had to say.

"That thing you've just fought was a _horrid_ creature." the sprout's voice became grim, swaying his little branches as he spoke. "It and others of all shapes and sizes have emerged from the portal that has formed in the skies not long ago."

Link was baffled. What is this portal was he talking about? Had this portal just formed when he was sleeping? Where is this portal exactly, and what can he do to stop it?

"Some hours after you arrived to these woods, an immense force of unknown power, which I and the other guardians have never felt before, ripped open a doorway above Castle Town, leading to an assumed other world. Now, numerous armies of these creatures, who have no possession of and defy the laws of magic powers, are spreading out and invading across every corner of Hyrule and the lands beyond. Strangely, they have not attacked or harmed anyone else outside of the forest. But I fear after what you and your friends' experienced with them, including poor dear sweet Saria, who was the one and only person atrociously snatched away by them, it is only a matter of time."

Link carefully listened to what the Duke Tree Sprout was saying, silently taking in everything he had to say, feeling chills run down his back as he was told what was happening outside the forest. He frowned in confusion, he vaguely understood some specific details, but he did now understood why these strange monsters and soldiers had entered the forest when they shouldn't have. They were not magic users or even followed the laws of magic of this world. However, he doesn't know is _why_ that is so, or why they haven't attacked anyone else yet (although he could admit that _they_ attacked him because _he_ attacked them first), or why they would only kidnap Saria out of all the people out there of Hyrule. Also, if they weren't magic users, how could that giant grub-like creature that took Saria wield such powers to lift, hold and strangle themselves without touching them physically?

He heard the concern and sorrow in the sprout's voice when he was mentioning her. So many questions he wanted answers for, but he continued listening to the sprout's lecturing.

"In honor of what your bravery and wisdom have accomplished to protect this world nine months before, I shall offer you this new quest on behalf of all of Hyrule." The Deku Tree Sprout spoke with a new found tone of hope. He then asked a question to Link, which he was expecting when he was summoned to speak with him. "Can you protect this kingdom once more, rescue Saria, and stop these creatures from doing anymore harm before it's too late?"

Link, knowing this familiar time for him and Hyrule has come again and that he will save Saria no matter what, nods.

"Thank the gods." The Deku Tree sprout said proudly. "Before you go, allow me to give you something that will aid you well on your journey, if you have an empty bottle."

Raising a brow, Link doesn't hesitate further and pulls one of his already dry and empty glass bottles from his bag and opens the cork. He extends out the bottle in front of him towards the sprout, unsure what he was going to give him. The sprout starts to inhale trice before hocking out a large size glob of green shinny fluid which plops right into the bottle in Link's hand. Link immediately plugs the cork back on and curiously examines the glistering, sticky green fluid in it. It was similar to a green potion, albeit much thicker.

"Your gifted capabilities to wield magic spells is impressive, Link. But I've sensed that recent events beyond these lands have made you spent up all of your magic powers." The Deku Tree Sprout told Link. "But, by consuming this _sparkling deku sap_ , and you shall replenish those powers to an extent. It may not recover your powers fully as a green potion would, but I know it should be enough to aid you good on your journey."

Link was grateful for the Deku Tree Sprout's kind offer, to give him at least something that would be useful when it comes to protecting his home and rescuing his friend once more. With a nod of appreciation, he slips the bottle of sparkling deku sap into his pocket's item bag.

Shortly after receiving this generous gift, a low continuous rumbling noise comes from the sky, westward. Link, Nera and the Deku Tree Sprout turn up as the sound got louder. An enormous crustacean-like creature flies high above, carrying a giant black container in four small legs. Its free six size varying legs tipped with blue glowing lights, the front most ones under a pair of 'wings'. It flew over the dead treetops of the Great Deku Tree's remains, followed by a second one, both of them blowing gusts of air on the dead leaves that blew off the branches. They disappeared from sight behind the dead tree. As the two strange flying creatures left, a loud mechanical-like roaring sound was heard in the far distance, coming from the direction where they came from.

Link was now thinking this quest he was given is going to be a lot more than it seems. He turns back to the sprout to hear any final statements. The Deku Tree Sprout seemed ready to give him one last thing to say.

"You seem to know what you must do, young Link. Go now, protect Hyrule one more, bring back Saria," his wooden facial expressions suddenly turn dull and stiff, " _prepare for unforeseen consequences_."

Those last words he told Link was enough to give the boy chills. The way he said it, emotionless and out of the blue, was enough to make him take a step back out of shock and look back with a confused look. He nods back in agreement while still not sure what to make of the sprout's last statement. What kind of _unforeseen consequences_ was he talking about?

Knowing what must be done, none the less, he pulls out the Fairy Ocarina out of his bag. Putting his lips to it, he plays a slow, peaceful sounding song that he learned from the original future at Lon Lon Ranch. It lasted only mere seconds, but it was enough to attract someone who always responds to it whenever he plays it.

A small horse's neigh came from behind the Great Deku Tree's remains. Epona gallops out from the side of the tree, stopping at front of Link. He pets her head in reassurance before climbing onto her back, ready to leave the forest to save Hyrule and his best friend again.

"Link, wait!" Nera called to him before he could leave. Still glowing her green color, she swooped beside him next to his face. "I... I want to come with you." she shyly said. "I want to make sure poor Saria is saved and unharmed when you find her. I may have not been able to help her so much, but seeing what you have done, facing and killing that beast by yourself, I could probably help _you_ for the time being. That is... if you are willing to let me join you."

Link was flattered with almost widened eyes by Nera's willingness to join him as a temporary companion to help him save Hyrule and _her_ Saria. He will surely appreciate whatever help Nera will have to offer to aid him on his new journey, just as Navi and Tatl have before.

In response to Nera's request, he willingly nods in reply.

Nera tinkers with delight. "Thanks, Link. I hope you won't regret this."

"You two be careful out there, and good luck!" the Deku Tree Sprout wished the pair.

Nera flutters into Link's cap just as he pats Epona to get themselves going. As the Hero of Time he was in the original future, he was prepared for anything he must do for the safety of his home and friends, ready to face this new threat he had only briefly faced, still not sure what else to expect at the same time. They make their way out of the Meadow and out the exit of the narrow stone passage.

"Ha!" Link slaps Epona's side to get her running. Epona gallops away though the village, passing by all the Kokiri homes where everyone else has taken refuge. He heard but ignored their questioning and concerning calls until disappearing into the darkened hollow tree passageway.

"Where are you going now, Link!?"

"What are you doing!?"

"We need you!"

"Link, don't leave us again!"

"Saria is dead, Link!"

"Be careful out there!"

He knows he will come back for his fellow Kokiri neighbors, but not without Saria. He knows she's still out there, and he _will_ rescue her, not matter what it takes. But without the Ocarina of Time, he doesn't know how he could save Hyrule without it.


End file.
